Nothing Ever Goes As Planned
by chloewren
Summary: Stephanie gets tired of Ranger and the Merry Men always bailing her out, so she teams up with a new bounty hunting partner. But will Ranger and the guys let her stay in a very dangerous situation?
1. Chapter 1

Nothing Ever Goes As Planned--Part 1

Rated : T for language and some graphic stuff in later chapters.

I am off work right now, and a new story popped into my head. Please leave feedback.

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I watched Ranger give me that same "blank face" expression he always gives then this topic comes up. Then, his characteristic, "Babe." 'Don't "babe" me Ranger. You know I want to become more independent, more like you."

His eyebrows raised at that. " Babe, you aren't like me." I sighed. "You know what I mean, Ranger. How can I ever get self sufficient as a county hunter when I am constantly falling back on you? When one of your guys is constantly with me? When they tell you if I even stub my toe?" He sat in his chair, calm, in his zone. " Babe, my men are there to help you and protect you." That's just it , Ranger. If your men are always protecting me, how can I develop my skills? How can I become a badass bounty hunter? There's no reason why I can't at least make enough to pay my bills bounty hunting."

He looked at me intensely. " I can teach you skills. Better than anyone. I'm the best there is." I smiled. Damn straight he was. I didn't want him to be mad at me, I wanted him to understand. " Ranger, you've taught me a lot. But anywhere I go, your men go , too. I can't learn that way."

I don't mind still doing a shift here and there for Rangeman,since its mostly desk work anyway, but for the bounty hunting, I want to learn new skills. "How are you going to learn these skills without someone to teach you?" Damn his logic. But I was ready for this one. "There is a guy called Jake Monroe . He's a very experienced bounty hunter. He's heard of my Bombshell Bounty hunter rep and says he'll teach me a few things.

Ranger 's eyes snapped. I could tell he didn't like the idea of anyone but him teaming up with me. " I've heard of Monroe. And he's experienced. He's also reckless and dangerous. He'll get you hurt. He has a record. He applied to work at Rangeman and I didn't hire him for those very reasons."

'Ranger, I'll be fine. And you'll you be proud of me when I can be a good bounty hunter even without you there? When I really can take care of myself?" He stood as still as a statue, his eyes gleaming black. I went to him and kissed him lightly on the lips. "I'll be fine. See you on Wednesday for my shift."

An hour later, I drove my current piece of shit car, a Kia, to the bonds office to get my new skip from Vinnie. Ranger had offered me one of his fleet of shiny black cars, but I wasn't that dumb. I knew all his cars came with a GPS tracker, so he could always know my location. I'd stick with my crappy Kia.

" What have you got for me today?" Connie hedged. " Well, not much right now in your bond range. Some in Rangers and a few midlevel ones."

"Gimme one of the midlevels." Hold on a sec. I have to find where all the paperwork is. Connie made a big show of moving around papers. "Ok, here's one, Slider Gibb. He's called slider because anytime he's in trouble with the law, he seems to slide out of it unscathed. But he's wanted for armed robbery and assault. He's usually armed. He's one you should get Ranger's help with.

I looked speculatively at Connie, trying to determine how much I should tell her about my new arrangement. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a huge , black Escalade cruise to a stop at the curb right in front of the bonds office. Shit. I eyed Connie suspiciously. Had Ranger called her? Had she been told to stall until his guys got there. I stood near the back of the office, behind the file cabinet, pretending to peruse Slider's file.

I watched as Bobby amd Zip got out of the Escalade. Damn. They were menacing looking in all black Rangeman uniforms. Their shoulder holsters carried large Glock subautomatics, the standard weapon carried by all Rangemen and their utility belts were so weighted down with gear, I was surprised they could move at all. The room seemed to get smaller as soon as they walked in.

Bobby was about six foot tall, black hair, brown eyes, and an easy smile. I had worked with him a fair amount. He knew most of my body intimately from a clinical perspecttive, since he was the one who always took care of me whenever I got hurt. He was stern and hard assed when it came to my safety, though. I had only worked with Zip a few times. He was slightly taller than Bobby, with sandy colored hair and green eyes. He wasn't about to take a chance with my safety, either. Both were ex- military had the hard bodies, massive muscles, and overall hotness required of all the guys who worked for Ranger. Only alpha-males need apply.

All Ranger's guys were sweet and protective of me, and unquestionably loyal to Ranger. I didn't know if they'd come here just to get their skip, or if they knew I was here. Either way, if they saw what I was doing, I knew my plans would be abruptly changing.

They both scanned the room as they walked in, always aware of their surroundings . "Hey, Connie. We need Rangeman's skips." Bobby's deep voice sounded from the other side of the office. Zip came swaggering over to me. Shit. I didn't want to seem like I was hiding, even though I was, so I put the file down and acted like I was getting coffee from the table behind the cabinets. I could feel Bobby's eyes on me , too, so I knew the guys had already known I was here.

Zip came over and pretended to look at the assortment of donuts, although I am pretty sure Rangemen can get fired for even looking at a donut. "Hey, Steph. How's it going?" His eyes scanned my face and skimmed down to the file on the table. I hoped that upside down reading wasn't a required Rangeman skill. "Um, good. Zip." I smiled, trying to hide the folder without him noticing, but I accidentally spilled all the pages onto the floor. Shit.

Being the gentleman that he could be when he wanted to, Zip crouched down and started picking up the papers. The giant mugshot photo of Slider lay on top, so big I was pretty sure even Bobby could see it across the room. I knew he'd seen it when he walked over to me. His eyes met Zip's and both sets of eyebrows raised as Zip showed him the name on the folder. " Hey, sweetie, " Bobby said, giving me a little hug. " You going after Slider? He's a really bad guy. Wait here a minute and I'll call control and have Lester come help you with him."

"Um, no , thanks, Bobby. I got it under control." Bobby and Zip looked at each other, but both turned blankface on me. Was that on the damn Rangeman application? Have to know how to do "blankface?"

Zip said, " Steph, honey, he's a really dangerous guy. You can't work it alone." I tried to keep the exasperation out of my voice. After all, Ranger's guys were so protective of me because he cared about me. Plus, they knew he'd probably send them to Siberia if they let me get hurt. "its ok. I'm not alone. I have someone helping me with this case."

"Does Ranger know about this?, Bobby asked. " Um, sure. I told him I am going to be working with someone on the bounty hunting cases when I'm not doing shifts at Rangeman."

"And he was ok with that?" Zip asked, unable to keep the surprise off his face. " Ranger doesn't need to be ok with it.", I said indignantly. " I don't need his permission." My face was starting to get red from anger.

Another look passed between them, apparently a form of silent, alpha-male communication. Maybe they were trying to decide if they should cuff me and stuff me in the Escalade to keep me from running off and getting hurt. I had no doubt they would do it if they thought it was necessary.

I brushed past them, in the tiny space remaining between them and the wall. "We're serious , Steph. You need to stay away from Slider."" Zip warned. But neither of them made a move to stop me as I left the bonds office. They followed a minute later and as they got into the Escalade, Bobby was already on his radio, apparently tattling on me to Ranger.


	2. Chapter 2

Nothing Ever Goes As Planned- Chapter 2

Please leave feedback, it motivates me.

Steph's POV

I had spoken to Jake Monroe on the phone, but I had no idea what he looked like in person. So, I scanned the restaurant looking for a guy who exuded " Bounty Hunter." No one really seemed to exude a " I'm a badass so don't screw with me" aura. A tall, lanky guy with blonde hair and green eyes made eye contact with me, and I knew right away that was Jake. He was handsome in an affable, charming sort of way. After working with Ranger and the guys, Jake seemed pretty ordinary. I stood up and shook my hand when I had finally angled my way over to his table. I smiled, " I'm Stephanie Plum, and you must be Jake Monroe." He shook my hand. " I heard of the Bombshell Bounty Hunter, but I didn't expect you to be so attractive."

He had almost finished his burger and fries, and when the waitress came over, I ordered a burger as well. We knew about each other's reputations, but not a lot about each other's background. Jake was a bounty hunter. He said he used to be a cop in local jurisdictions, but he didn't anymore, because he thought the cops were too cautious in getting assailants. He said that in order to catch skips, you had to be aggressive and you didn't always have forever to plan things. That sounded more like my style, since I almost never had time to plan anything. I usually got most of my skips by accident, and I would love to be able to get skips with more regularity.

I told him about how I had started working for Vinnie and that I knew nothing when I started. I told him about how Ranger had been my bounty hunting mentor, and that I worked part time doing desk work at Rangeman.

Jake's eyebrows creased when I mentioned Ranger. " Yeah, I've heard of the great Ranger Manoso and his security company, Rangeman. A bunch of ex-military guys. I even applied to work there. He didn't hire me, and I am glad. He doesn't deserve the reputation he's gotten. He isn't that good, and way too cautious to grab skips. Plus, that slavish obedience his men show him is disgusting. Its just like being in the damn military again. Too many rules. And all that black. Like some skip isn't going to notice a bunch of black cars and huge guys dressed in black coming after him. Not exactly subtle."

It seemed weird to have anyone describe Ranger and the guys as cautious. If there was anyone who WASN'T cautious , it was Ranger. He went anywhere, faced any danger. I don't think he or the guys were afraid of anything. Ranger was Batman. The only time he was too cautious was with me. I felt a thread of uneasiness that Jake was dismissive of Ranger. On the other hand, Jake was more of a regular guy, so he could teach me, a regular girl, ways I could catch skips on my own. Ways I can get a skip without having an army of guys with me.

I was eager to get started, so I pulled out the file on Slider that Connie had given me. Jake went through the file quickly. He said, " I know Slider. He did some bad stuff, but he always slides through the cracks, hence the nickname. But he isn't that hard to catch." I was eager to get started, and Jake knew Slider's usual haunts, so we agreed to go right away. I wasn't even going to show him my piece of shit car, so we just agreed to go in his.

Ranger's POV

I went through the file on Jake Monroe that Tank had brought me. Monroe was a narc cop in Philly, but "resigned" when he was suspected of running drugs and money laundering. There were also a couple of questionable shootings. He was never actually charged due to lack of evidence. Also, some domestic violence charges that were never substantiated, because the woman in question suddenly declined to press charges.

I flipped through the folder ,which also contained a background check done when Monroe had applied at Rangeman. He had some criminal activities, but that wasn't a big deal. A few of my guys did too. Monroe was too much of a loose cannon to work for Rangeman. While all my guys were lethal, they also took and followed orders unquestioningly. Monroe was not the type that would do that.

Monroe had become a bounty hunter after leaving the police department, but his rep as a bounty hunter wasn't much better. He usually did get his man, and he had gotten some high profile skips, but he also took needless risks and had also endangered innocent civilians. He had almost been killed on several takedowns due to poor planning. He also had a bad reputation with woman. He was reputed to like it rough, and didn't seem to care what the woman wanted. Not a guy Ranger wanted to be anywhere near Steph, let alone hunting dangerous skips with her.

Monroe had a more glamourous " Hollywood " type reputation, which I supposed would appeal to Steph. After all, she wanted to learn to take down skips without the guys hovering, and she was convinced Monroe could teach her.

I closed the file and spent a few minutes just breathing deeply and unclenching my hands trying to quell the anger and frustration that coursed through me. I wanted to run out and find Steph and forbid her to work with Monroe, but THAT would turn out badly. Steph hated to be told what to do, and if I tried to keep her from working with Monroe, it would only make her want to do it more. I unclenched my fists and sighed. I would have to make sure the guys kept an eye on her without her knowing.

Steph's POV

Slider hung out on the second floor of a run down strip mall in a fake "moving company." Jake and I pulled up outside and parked. " Ok, what's the plan, " I asked. He faced me his eyes sparkling. " Ok, look, I guess Manoso taught you some bad habits that you need to break. There is not always a need to have a plan. Sometimes its easiest just to run in and storm the place. By the time you get a plan in place, the skip is gone." I looked at him, incredulous. " So, you never have a plan? No backup?" Sounded dangerous.

" Anyone who needs backup isn't a very good bounty hunter," Jake insisted. He grabbed his gun and cuffs and I followed him into the storefront. You go in the back way.

I stood near the back entrance where I had a perfect view into the storefront. Slider's picture had been kind to him, as he looked more oily and limy in person. He was a short, compact guy. Jake went right into the storefront and sat down. " Slider Gibb," he said, as if he didn't already know. " Who wants to know?" said Slider, already suspicious and heading towards the back.

Jake rushed him and yelled, "Bond enforcement,". Slider pulled out his gun, then turned over a file cabinet, preventing Jake from chasing him, and ran towards the back entrance. Slider ran past me, waving the gun in my face. Slider didn't care about killing me, but he grabbed my arm as he ran past, pulling me down the stairs. He let go of me as I fell, tumbling head over heels down the stairs. I managed to keep my head from hitting the stairs as I rolled down, but when I came to rest on the landing, my entire body ached. All I could do was lie there, stunned, the wind knocked out of me.

I could hear Jake cuffing Slider on the ground below. He had apparently gone out the front and managed to sneak up on Slider. I lay on the landing, , concentrating only on trying to suck in air. My entire body was throbbing in pain, and I worked to hold back tears. I finally had gotten enough of my wind back to stagger up , first to my knees, then my feet. My legs were shaking, but so far, they were still holding me up. I walked over to the car, where Jake had cuffed Slider in the back seat.

My jeans were ripped, and I was sure that when my clothes came off, my entire body would be covered with bruises and welts. I was still shaking , and my ribs hurt with every breath. I managed to get myself back into the car. Jake smiled, and said, " See , that wasn't hard. You'll be ok in a little while."

Jake drove to the cop shop to drop Slider off and get our body receipt. I was still throbbing, and sitting in the car had made me stiff. I thought about letting Jake take Slider in , but I wanted everyone to know that I had gotten this skip. I managed to ease myself out of the car and found that I could walk with a slight limp. As Jake and I headed in with Slider,. . . oh, shit, what crappy timing. I wondered if this was coincidence, or if they had planned this. Just leaving the station with their body receipt for the Rangeman skip, were Bobby and Zip. And me limping with torn jeans, and who knew how bad my hair looked. Fuck. fuck. fuck.

I tried to move Jake and Slider towards the side, so the guys wouldn't see us, but those damn Rangemen are always aware of their surroundings. I knew the minute they saw us, because Zip's eyes widened briefly before he covered it with blankface. Bobby's eyes just seemed to look me up and down, probably trying to determine why I was limping.

The guys came right up to us, "accidentally" brushing against Jake. Bobby and Zip stood close to me, their arms folded across their massive chests. Both Rangemen's eyes roamed up and down Jake and thendismissed him. Zip said, " Hey, Steph, what the hell happened to you?" "Um, Zip and Bobby, this is Jake Monroe. He's the one I told you was helping me with skips. Jake, this is Bobby and Zip, I work with them at Rangeman." None of the guys held out their hands to shake, in fact, Zip and Bobby kept their arms folded over their chests and gave Jake that damn alpha- male look. I hate when they do that.

Jake looked at them almost with contempt. " I could tell just by the clothes that they are Ranger's goons. " I saw Zips fists tighten when Jake called them goons, but I knew Bobby and Zip wouldn't start anything with me in the middle of it. Jake grabbed Slider. " here, I'll hand him in and meet you at the car." He grabbed Slider's arm, gave the guys one last mean look and went to the desk.

" Steph, where did you get hurt?" Leave it to Bobby to notice the limp. I was pretty sure I could pass it off as just a twisted ankle, though. " No big deal, Bobby. I just tripped going down the stairs and sort of twisted my ankle. " Bobby looked me up and down assessingly for a moment, and frowned." What the hell are you doing with Monroe?" Zip asked. "Oh, talk to Ranger. He'll give you all the details," I told them. I didn't want to go into it now, at the station, and have the guys get all alpha male protective and try to stuff me in the SUV or something. They might force me back to Rangeman to take care of the ankle.

"Why don't we take you to Rangeman and you can put ice on that ankle, " Bobby asked, with that damn ESP thing. I tried to give them my usual smile, but I was in so much pain I think it was shaky. " Thanks guys, but Jake and I are going to hand in the receipt and get paid. Then, I promise I'll ice it." Bobby and Zip had walked me out to Jake's car and waited with me. I guess they weren't certain if they should just let me go with Jake or not. Finally, Jake came out and the guys didn't stop me from getting into his car. Bobby, Zip and Jake exchanged a last menacing look. " I'll see you tomorrow at work guys," I called and then Jake and I took off.

An hour later, I was in my apartment, gingerly peeling off my clothes, trying to avoid bumping any bruises. I would pretty much need an icepack for my entire body. I eased myself carefully into the tub, figuring an Epsom salt bath might help with the soreness. It still hurt to breathe , and I was pretty sure I had bruised a rib. I wished we hadn't run into Bobby and Zip at the cop shop. I can only imagine what they were going to tell Ranger. I leaned back in the tub and sighed. Maybe I could just avoid him at work tomorrow.


	3. Chapter 3

Nothing Ever Goes As Planned- Part 3

Please leave reviews as I live for them.

Ranger's POV

Zip and Bobby had returned from getting the body receipt for our skip. Bobby popped his head in the door of my office, " Hey, boss. We have some new info on Steph and this Monroe asshole."

I pulled myself away from the boring security reports and motioned them to sit in my leather guest chairs.

Zip looked a little nervous. " well, sir, remember how we told you this morning that Steph was going after Slider Gibb with a new partner?"

"That partner would be Jake Monroe." I couldn't even say the name without wanting to hit something.

Bobby read the expression on my face and stiffened, as though he knew what my reaction to his next news would be. " We ran into them hauling Slider in at the cop shop. Monroe acted like a fucking bastard. And Steph tried to hide it, but she was limping. She said she tripped and twisted her ankle, and I couldn't get close enough to examine it. I tried to get her to come back here, but she said she'd go home and ice it.

" I wanted to kill that fucker Monroe. He called us "goons. I am not a goon. I am a highly trained ex Special Forces mercenary. " Zip, usually quiet and shy, was enraged. " I could kill that fucker with one hand and he has the balls to call us goons to our faces? I didn't do anything cause Steph was there, but if he ever calls me a goon again, I will rip his fucking cock off. He is a fucking loose cannon. Are you actually going to let Steph hang out with him?"

" Why the hell does she want to catch skips with him when she has us?." Bobby asked, seemingly a bit insulted.

I thought back to our argument a few days ago. " She feels like we are always too protective of her and we don't let her do dangerous things."

" Damn straight, we don't. She might get hurt." Zip interjected.

" She says I am too protective because of my feelings for her. Well, she feels like she can't learn anything with us hovering so much, so she has asked Monroe to teach her what she needs to know."

Bobby was appalled. "She honestly thinks that incompetent asshole can teach her things we can't? That's ridiculous. We're the best there is. You know about his reputation, boss. Are you actually going to let her continue to work with him?"

I didn't see where I had a choice. If I told her she couldn't work with him, that would make her want to even more. She might even quit Rangeman . At least this way I could keep tabs on her. The guys could track her from afar until I could knock some sense into her foolish head. Hopefully, that would happen before Monroe got her hurt or killed. I called Tank. "Send someone over to Steph's apartment. Stay outside. Follow her if she leaves but otherwise stay covert."

Steph's POV

I opened one eye at the screeching of the alarm clock next to my bed. Shit. Seven thirty. I sighed. I had a nine o'clock shift at Rangeman. I just wanted to roll over , go back to sleep, and go into Rangeman late. I didn't dare call in sick or late. I'm sure Zip and Bobby had ratted me out to Ranger about my ankle, and if I didn't show up in time for work, he'd be over here and there'd be blazing red hell to pay.

The problem was, I felt like I had been hit by a semi. My entire body ached, and I hadn't gotten much sleep last night because of it. I looked down at the bruises covereing my arms and shoulders and across my torso. Despite the Epsom salt bath, I was still in a lot of pain. It still hurt sometimes when I took a breath, and I was pretty sure I had a bruised rib. My ankle was only slightly swollen, but it hurt like shit.

I eased myself carefully out of bed. How the hell was I going to keep these bruises hidden from Ranger and the guys. They knew I had a "sprained ankle" , so I didn't really need to hide that, but if Ranger saw the rest of my injuries, he'd shit a brick and then lock me up at Rangeman.

I carefully crept to the bathroom and showered, then had to decide how best to hide the bruises. Not that I had anything to be ashamed of. I got hurt all the time- even when I worked with Ranger. But since he warned me not to work with Jake, I knew I 'd never hear the end of it if he saw how battered I was. I figured I could get away with a Rangeman sweatshirt. It wasn't a cold day, just a little chilly sometimes if the wind blew. The guys would probably be wearing their T-s but I am always cold, so they wouldn't think twice about my sweatshirt.

When I arrived at Rangemen, the shift had already started. Ranger knew I hated to get up early , so he let me come in at 9. The other guys shifts began at 8:00am. I treid to make sure that I wasn't limping too badly. I got off the elevator on 5, not surprised that there were only Lester, Zip, and Bobby on monitors. I tried to sneak past them to get to my cubicle. I should have known better than to try to sneak past a Rangeman. "Hey, sweetie, how's your ankle?" , Zip called. " Um, its better today , I think,"I said as I waved and walked past him- right into a solid black wall of Ranger. He had been waiting for me at my cubicle. I ran into him so hard that I stumbled back, and he grabbed my arms to steady me.

OOOOOOWWWWWWWTHATHURTS!!!! I yelled, trying to yank my arm away. He hadn't grabbed me hard, but he had grabbed where I was bruised, so instant pain shot through my arm. He looked startled and released me. He looked over my head towards Bobby. They both knew he had barely touched me.

"Babe," Ranger said, and I wasn't sure quite how to interpret that Babe. " Sorry, I yelled. Ranger just gave me a knowing look, and took my arm, pulling up the sleeve of the sweatshirt, revealing several bruises on my arm. The quiet work sounds in the room gave way to absolute silence as he grabbed the other sleeve and pulled it up as well, revealing several more bruises. He looked at me with that damn blankface, his eyes smoldering black. " Do you have any other bruises, babe?" Before I could answer, he said, "upstairs", now." He took my hand and led me to the elevator and I followed , between him and Bobby, like a chastened child.

Ranger pulled me onto his couch and pulled up my shirt, swearing as he saw the bruises all the way up by abdomen. Now I was on the couch in Ranger's living room, in just my jeans and a bra. Bobby was running his huge hands gently across my ribcage, assessing the damage. I flinched in a few spots where his fingers touched. " It hurts to breathe, doesn't it?" he asked. Ranger was leaning stiffly against the edge of the counter. I felt bad for Bobby. He was trying to be very clinical, but I could tell he felt awkward touching my ribs and breasts. Yes, he was a medic, but most of his experience was knife wounds and bullets on guys. He seldom had women patients. He gently prodded my ribcage with his fingers, his fingers even surrounding my breasts, as he assessed the damage to my ribs. I was pretty sure there was not a page in the Special Forces or Rangeman handbooks that covered feeling up the boss's girlfriend while trying to asses s her injuries while the boss is standing in the room." I don't think the ribs are broken, just bruised. The only way to tell for sure, though is to go get X-rays." My legs got the same treatment, as I sat there in my panites. I was NOT going to the ER, so Bobby just bound my ribs for support. Not much to do for the bruises except Epsom salts and Advil for the pain.

Bobby left, and it was just Ranger and I. He was doing his quiet thing, but for once he didn't seem calm. He seemed pissed. " See? This is why I don't want you working with Monroe. He let you fall down a flight of stairs and didn't even get you medical help." I was glad Ranger didn't know the full story about what had happened because he would have locked me up.

" Ranger, I get hurt all the time. How is this any different? " Ranger put his hands on my shoulders and squeezed gently. " My guys don't let you get hurt. They aren't reckless. Monore has a shady record, a lot of crimes that are connected with him but can't be proven, domestic violence charges. I didn't hire him for Rangeman because he is reckless and I don't trust him."

" You have a lot of things that people suspect you of that can't be proven, " I reminded him.

I hated when Ranger told me what to do. Ok, so I got scraped up, but it wasn't like it was the first time.

I wanted to learn what Monroe could teach me. Ranger stared at me with that intimidating expression he always has, but he knew he had pushed as far as he could. I could be just as stubborn as he could. He knew pushing me any further would be bad news.

" Can I go back down to work now?" I asked. Ranger's eyes narrowed. " Make sure you take Advil for those bruises." I was surprised he let me make it out the door.

Ranger's POV

I couldn't believe she still wanted to go with him. I knew if I pushed, it would just make him more attractive to her.

Monroe was bad news. Why the hell would a guy like him want to team up with her? I mean, I love Steph, but she isn't going to be teaching anyone bounty hunting tactics. Why was Monroe encouraging her? I am sure that asshole isn't there to "mentor" her. I had to find out his other motives.

It was clear that talking with Steph about this would get me nowhere. I would have to meet with Monroe and get him to stay the fuck away from her.

I called Tank in the control room. " Tank, set up surveillance on Jake Monroe. I want to know whatever he does. Also, give his file to Steph. Maybe if she reads it herself she'll believe it.

Be ready to go with me to meet Monroe. Set it up for the usual place.

I was going to convince that bastard to stay the fuck away from Steph.


	4. Chapter 4

Nothing Ever Goes As Planned- Chapter 4

Please leave reviews.

Ranger's POV

Lester, Bobby, and I entered the back room of Andretti's and I took a seat with my back to the wall. We had a clear view all the way to the front door. I always went to the back room when I met in restaurants like this because they are more private and we are less likely to cause a scene. Bobby and Lester flanked me. Monroe had called my men 'thugs" and today we were playing on his description of us. Lester and Bobby were tough and heavily armed. We were trying to scare him away from Steph.

Bobby's cell chirped. " Ranger, Zip and Ram say that Monroe just came into the parking lot. Yes, I actually had four men with me. Two in the restaurant and two in a car outside. I wanted Monroe to be sure to realize that Rangeman would not let him get away with hurting Stephanie. I wasn't sure Monroe would come when I called him to set up this meeting, but I figured his anger and curiosity would get the better of him.

We saw him come in the front door of the restaurant and tracked his movement all the way across the restaurant. He was dressed in jeans and a leather jacket. He didn't have any visible weapons, but probably had a few concealed. He stopped a few feet away from us, then sat down across from me. I nodded my head and Lester patted him down, roughly. Monroe allowed himself to be patted down, almost patronizingly. Lester showed me Monroe's concealed knife and a concealed pistol. I let him keep both weapons, just as long as I knew about them. "Wow. The head Rangeman himself and two of his head thugs. I am so honored," Monroe said sarcastically as he sat down. I noticed he kept his eyes on Bobby and Lester, though.

"Manoso , you had to bring two of your goons to meet with me because you didn't think you could handle me yourself?" Bobby and Lester just stood there, looking menacing, not reacting to his obvious attempts to upset them. I was glad I hadn't brought Zip. He'd have gutted Monroe for calling him a goon and then I'd have a body to hide.

"""What the fuck do you want, Monroe? Why are you hanging around Stephanie Plum?" I asked. It is always good to know the motives of your enemies, not that it really mattered. "why not,?" he said, "she's cute and funny and best of all, she's yours. I relish the chance to deal with something of yours.?

I stared down Monroe and he broke eye contact first. Pussy. " I wanted to tell Monroe not to go near Steph at all, but he'd tell her, and that would just make him more attractive to Steph I would love to kill the cocksucker, but I would even pay him to leave if I had to.

I got my most lethal look on my face, my eyes radiating my anger. "Monroe, " I said, in my calm deadly, I am going to fuck you up and then kill you painfully voice, "this is the only warning you will get. "Did you know she is covered with bruises and probably has cracked ribs after your little escapade yesterday. What the hell were you thinking, letting her get hurt? I'd love to tell her never to see you, but I know she will. But if she ever has a scratch or even a headache after being with you, I will gut you. I will fucking kill you violently and painfully. And I learned torture from the best.

Jake sneered, but his eyes looked a bit afraid under the bravado. Stephanie wants me to teach her the tricks of the bounty hunting trade. Apparently, she doesn't like having your thugs around her, interfering in her apprehensions. Can't you keep better track of your woman, Ranger? She must really mean something to you. I mean, more than just entertainment. And I am all for getting to anything that means something to you.

Monroe only smiled a tiny grin, looked at my dealy serious face, and then at Lester and Bobby, who were both just aching to shoot him. " Well, thank- you for that kind warning," he said.. Then he got up and left the restaurant. I knew zip and Ram would follow him. They probably had time to put a GPS tracker on his car, so we would know when he was with Steph.

Steph's POV

I didn't know weather to be pissed with Ranger or not. I mean, I was pissed. But I also knew he cared about me. So I owed it to him to at least read the file that Rangeman had compiled on Jake Monroe. I was sitting in my cubicle, and Woody delivered the file. He had been one of the main ones to help compile it. It was thick. It had to be at least three inches. I was not going to read this whole thing.

"Jeez, Woody," I can't believe that Ranger has this thick of a file on him. Of course, Ranger probably has thick files on everyone. I bet the ones he has of employees are as thick as this one. I shuddered to think about the stuff Ranger had in MY file. Woody looked at me and smiled, obviously doing that damn ESP thing that all Rangemen seem to be able to do. " Sweetie, he can probably tell you your blood pressure from your last OBGYN appointment." Ok, that was a bit creepy. Weren't medical records supposed to be confidential?

I paged through the file. Apparently , Jake used to be a narc cop, but he resigned. There was some question about missing drugs and "funny money." Also, he had been charged, but not convicted of domestic violence, but the charge had been dropped.

He had a pretty rough and tumble reputation as a bounty hunter. He had done some takedowns in seriously public places with no backup. I could see why Ranger wouldn't like that, it wasn't his style. It didn't mean that Jake couldn't teach me things, though.

The file also contained an application for Rangeman that had been rejected. Ranger's notes written on a yellow Post-It note, said, " loose cannon. Criminal charges, won't take orders well, " I guess those were the reasons Ranger didn't hire him. It is kind of ironic, though , that Ranger called him a loose cannon. Joe Morelli had said the same thing about Ranger. I man, Ragner has told me that there are things I don't want to know about him.

I closed the file and leaned back in my chair, sighing. Jake did seem to have some questionable things in his past, but then, so did Ranger. Ranger always kept me safe, but he didn't let me learn. He was too protective. I needed someone a bit less careful t teach me the tricks of the trade.

I handed the file back to Woody. "Is Ranger around?" Woody looked uncomfortable. "Um, no." That's the guys- full of words. " Do you know when he'll be back" Blankface from Woody. Obviously, Ranger was somewhere or doing something that I wasn't supposed to know about.

I had finished the last search, when my phone rang. The display window showed "Jake." I answered quietly, so that none of the guys could hear me. " Hi, mom. I can't talk right now, I'm at work." Jake laughed. "Smart cookie. That way Ranger's thugs won't know who is calling. Meet me at 5:00 at Pino's."

I hoped he didn't have anything too physical in mind. I was still sore from our last takedown. Bobby had given me some stuff to ease the pain, but it didn't work worth shit. The little warning voice, Sensible Stephanie, buried deep down, was warning me not to have anything else to do with Jake. If Ranger thought he was bad news, then he was. The problem is, I usually go into denial and ignore Sensible Stephanie and listen to Stupid Stephanie. And Stupid Stephanie was excited to meet with Jake again.

I had just enough time to go home and change out of my uniform before I met Jake. I grabbed my purse. " Ok, Woody, see you later. I am, um, heading to my mom's house for dinner." I bolted out of the room as fast as my battered body would allow, before Woody could question me. As I got on the elevator, I saw Woody pick up the phone, glancing back and forth between me and the screen. THAT might be a problem.

Woody's POV

Shit. I was hoping that reading Monroe's file would at least make Steph more cautious about bounty hunting with that asshole Monroe. Shit. Everyone in the bounty hunting community knew he was bad news. I really liked Steph, but she was so damn stubborn. She wanted her independence and she didn't like us always with her, she said we smother her. But we help her get skips and keep her safe. She'd already gotten really banged up the very first time she went out with that asshole. Next time he might get her killed. I watched Steph read the file, a few times she sighed and twice she rolled her eyes.

Ranger had legitimate reasons for hating Monroe, and he was pretty damn sure that Monroe only wanted Steph to get back at Ranger. Her cell rang and I pulled up a special screen. She forgot it was her Rangeman issued phone, so we could get a printout of all the incoming and outgoing calls. It was Monroe. She spoke for a minute, then grabbed her stuff.

She raced for the elevator, telling me she was going to dinner at her mom's. Shit. Steph is a terrible liar. Her thoughts are always written all over her face. I watched her get onto the elevator, then got on the phone to Ranger and the guys in the field. There was no way in hell she was meeting Monroe without one of us there. She was too damn stubborn and foolish to take care of herself. That was exactly why she needed us.

Steph's POV

I had stopped home long enough to feed Rex, shower and change clothes. I opened my closet, at a loss about what to wear. I wanted to look like a bad ass bounty hunter, but I also wanted to look good and sexy. I decided on a pair of tight jeans, a dark blue sweater, and my three inch black boots. Sexy and ass kicking in one package. I did what I could with my hair, and it actually turned out ok. I looked really good and by the time I got to Pino's Jake had already gotten us a table, about halfway across the restaurant. His blonde hair and charming smile were a far cry from Ranger's tall dark and handsome, strong silent countenance. I bet Jake was probably the most popular kid in high school and a frat boy in college.

He stood and smiled as I got to the table. "Stephanie, you look great!", he told me, and I gushed. We Sometimes it was nice for guys to tell you what they are thinking instead of blankface all the time. We ordered pizza and beers, and I got settled. I couldn't forget thin things in the file, and there were things I wanted to ask Jake about.

I didn't want to tell him Ranger had complied a huge file on him, so… " Jake, I did some research on you via Google," Yeah, that was it. Google was the answer to everything. " I saw that you used to be a cop. Why did you stop?" He grinned. " Well, you know. Cops have too damn many rules and procedures to follow. You can only use force at certain times, etc. It is really a hassle." Sensible Steph thought that might make sense. No sense in lying about it, so I plunged in. " Ranger told me that you ,um, have a record…."

" Ah, I met the famous Carlos "Ranger " Manoso today," he cleverly changed the subject. I was shocked. " Well, I thought you and Ranger knew each other." He grabbed a piece of pizza. " We know each other by reputation only. We met for the first time today. Ranger and two of his goons." I wondered which guys Ranger took with him to l present the most intimidating picture. I didn't like it when Jake called them goons. " Jake, Ranger's men aren't goons. They are ex-military guys and they are very sweet to me." He heard the edge in my voice and decided to drop the topic. " Yeah, I have a record. Ranger does, too. Most good bounty hunters so. Its helps us think like our skips. Some of his go…uh, men have records, too."

I didn't have time to reply to that, because I was distracted by,…what the hell… two very large black clad men swaggered into the restaurant. Ram and Lester strode up to us, Lester feigning a look of surprise at seeing me here. He was an excellent soldier, but he was a bad actor. "Steph! Sweetie! "Both guys gave me huge, possessive hugs, Ram keeping his arm around my shoulder. They both stared down Jake. Shit. " Um, this is Jake Monroe. I am working with him on some stuff." The guys didn't even acknowledge Jake with anything other than a deathly stare. Lester broke the awkward silence. " well, um, we just came for lunch, so we'll see you tomorrow at Rangeman." They walked past us, and took a table against the wall, where they could stare down Jake. They ordered pizza and water. I guess when Ranger wasn't around the "cardboard food" rule went out the window. Shit.

"Ranger has guys follow you, even when you aren't working for him?" Jake complained. Stupid Stephanie said, " They may not be following me. Everyone from Rangeman eats here all the time. It could just be a coincidence." Even as I said the words, I knew they were wrong. How the hell had the guys known I would be here. My Kia didn't have a tracker. Jake looked sympathetic. " I can see why you want to break away from them following you all the time."

Jake and I decided which skip we'd go after next. Donald MacLean was wanted for auto theft. Jake and I were going to meet at his building to take him down. Jake said we'd plan our strategy when we got there. We finished eating, and Jake paid the bill. Ram and Lester had had pegged Jake with menacing looks the entire time, but they didn't seem in a hurry to finish eating when Jake and I got up. I sighed. Probably there was a huge black SUV in the lot ready to follow us. I loved the guys, but this was ridiculous.

Jake's car was just a few spots down from mine, but it looked lopsided. As we got closer we noticed why. "Fuck!" Jake and I realized at the same time that three of his tires had been slashed. He swore, then whipped out his cell and started making calls. I looked around and saw a huge black Escalade at the other end of the lot, but I couldn't see who was in it. I ran over, and as I reached it, the tinted window came down , revealing Bobby's face.

"Hey, honey," He said, very calmly. "Is everything ok?" I was livid. "Bobby, I can't believe it. I can't believe you guys did it." Bobby and Zip, who was with him in the SUV , managed to look completely innocent. "What? Did what?" I was so angry I was shaking. " I can't believe you all slashed Jake's tires." Bobby made a show of looking over at Jake's car, as if noticing for the first time. He got a pained look on his face. " Ooh… three slashed tires. Poor bastard. Sucks to be him." Then he looked at me and shrugged, "sweetie, what can I say, this part of town sucks. You should come with us and we'll take you out of here." Sensible Stephanie wanted to climb into the SUV and go back to Rangeman, but Stupid Stephanie wanted to go take down Maclean with Jake.

I was so mad I could feel the steam coming off my head. I was definitely in the mood to listen to sStupid Stephanie. I couldn't even think of anything to say. I just gasped, and turned, and stomped away. I was tired of Ranger being so damn controlling.


	5. Chapter 5

Nothing Ever Goes As Planned- Part 5

Please leave reviews, as I thrive on them.

I left the restaurant and called Jake. Since it would take awhile to get the new tires on his car, we were pushing back the meeting at McLean's until tonight. I hung up and noticed the black Explorer tracking me. Geez. Zip and Bobby were supposed to be all about the stealth. Driving very large , black vehicles all over town was not exactly stealthy. They stuck out like a sore thumb. I guess they figured that I knew they were there so there was no sense hiding.

I stopped at the bonds office to pick up some more files. Connie was straightening up her desk and Lula was filing. Actually filing!

Lula's ass was sticking straight up in the air as she bent over a file cabinet drawer. That huge ass was encased in puke green spandex pants that tested the stretchiness of spandex. Connie and I were just staring enthralled at Lula's ass, trying not to laugh, sure that the seams of the pants were about to burst open.

Lula stood up, indignant that we were laughing at her ass. This enabled a better view of the elasticity limits of her yellow spandex top. It was so tight and squashed her massive breasts so tightly that I was surprised she could breathe. It hurt me just to look at it.

" Hey, white girl, " what you string at?", she demanded.

I looked at Connie. "Um, nothing, just watching you file."

Connie came around the desk. "So we want the whole story. What is up with you and Jake Monroe? "

Damn. Was I always going to have to explain myself?

" Everyone knows about Jake. Vinnie knows. He's as famous as Ranger, " I said, a bit defensively.

" Are you comparing him to Batman?" Lula asked in horror. "Cause there is no comparison with Batman. Maybe one of the Rangemen, on a bad day, but not Batman."

I gave my Burg eye roll.

"Well, its true," Connie told me. " There is no comparison between Jake and Batman."

" Jake isn't anywhere near as sexy as Ranger, or even any of the guys, but he lets me get involved in things. Ranger always has guys with me."

"White girl, I'd love to have guys as sexy as them following everywhere like I was a queen."

"Lula, you wouldn't feel that was if you couldn't go anywhere without one of them with you. If every little time you sneezed it got reported to Ranger. Jake can teach me things without the over protectiveness. I'm not even driving a Rangeman vehicle, but I am pretty sure they put a tracker on it."

Connie snorted. " Vinnie says that Ranger and his men are about to shit a brick over this. There is nothing Jake can teach you that you can't learn ten times better from Ranger. And the view is much better, too. And Ranger's guys won't let you get hurt."

Lula was bored with filing, of course, so it didn't take me long to convince her to come on a little adventure with me. Lula loves adventure. " The guys are outside in front, and if we can get out without them seeing, that would be best. I don't want them to know that I am going after Donald McLean with Jake. Lets head to the mall, we can probably lose them there."

"Ooh, this is gonna be fun. Like in them cop movies." I took a couple files and scrambled out to Lula's Firebird. I called Valerie and told her that my car needed some repairs and I was afraid to take skips in it. She agreed to meet me at the mall and switch out cars.

We arrived at the mall and parked outside Macy's. The black SUV had followed us the whole way. The guys got out, but I know they were reluctant to go into Macy's. They did follow us in, but hung back quite a distance. I think Ranger had given them orders not to be visible following me. Now Lula and I scrambled into Macy's and right out the back entrance, where Mary Lou had parked her car. She drove a Nissan, much nicer than anything of mine.

"Thanks, Valerie. Here are the keys to my car. Just make sure that Ranger's guys don't see you getting into Lula's car. I want them to think that I am still with Lula."

Valerie cringed, " Are you doing something that is going to get you hurt?"

Sensible Stephanie cringed, but Stupid Stephanie just said, " I'll be fine, don't worry."

I drove to the street where I was supposed to meet Jake. Lakeview Street had neither a lake or a view. Why do they always give the crappiest streets in town pretty names? Are they trying to make everyone think that "Lakeview Street" is a calm, peaceful place? Because I can guarantee you , it isn't.

I pulled over on the side of the street, to wait for Jake. I know I am under scrutiny. Everyone behind every one of those windows is peeking out to see whey the white girl is sitting in the car on the side of the road. Maybe they think I am a cop. Around here, having people think you are a cop is not a good thing.

I sat there a moment, sizing up #24B, where McLean supposedly lived. Sensible Stephanie was screaming in my head that this was not a building I should be anywhere near without an army for backup. Stupid Steph told me it would be ok as soon as Jake got here.

No sooner did I think his name than he appeared, in a brown SUV. I guess it was easier for him to get a different vehicle than get the tires changed on his old one. He came over to my car and got in. He seemed calm, but I could tell he was still seething.

" I am so sorry that Bobby and zip slashed your tires. That was just so rude of them." I felt like I had to apologize. Jake's face was livid with anger that I had even mentioned it . He definitely hadn't learned "blankface" like Ranger and the guys had.

" I fucking hate those thugs," he said, grabbing my arm. " They think they can humiliate me in public?" Ranger's guys couldn't be real cops, so they work for a quasi military bully? " His fingers were tight around my wrist and his eyes were snapping with anger.

" Jake, I know you don't like ranger, but please don't call the Rangemen "thugs." That bothers me because it isn't true. They a re sweet guys." I yanked my wrist out of his grip and he let go, but I felt a little worm of fear start to work its way into my brain, but it was still dwarfed by my excitement.

Jake shuddered, then turned his attention back to the task at hand- getting McLean. I motioned up to the apartment where McLean supposedly lived. " It doesn't seem like anyone lives there. No movement, or anything. Maybe he knows we are coming."

Jake nodded and got back into "teacher" mode. " Ok, the best way t do this is quickly. Lets get as close as we can, then I'll go in the front, and you take the back. " I grimaced. At least 24B was on the ground level, so I didn't need to worry about falling down stairs again. Jake checked his cuffs and gun to be sure it was loaded. He gave me a snubby. I asked him about wearing vests, but he said those were unnecessary and tipped off everyone that you were there to get someone. It was better to go in quickly and leave."

I must have given him a doubtful look, because he gave me a smirk. " Don't worry. I won't let Ranger's little precious toy get shot." I bristled. " I am NOT his toy!" Jake just smirked again, opened the car door, and advanced toward the dilapidated apartment building. We crept up to the building, trying not to stand out but knowing that we did. I went around the back, while Jake crashed through the front door. " Bond enforcement!" he yelled, sweeping the front room with his gun. He didn't look anywhere near as cool as Ranger and the guys when he did that. I swept in from the rear, and it was soon evident that no one had been anywhere near this apartment for quite awhile.

"Shit," Jake was pissed. " I hate when this happens." I knew that he couldn't stand being humiliated, especially in front of me. I agreed that it was frustrating, but not unusual. Criminals jumping bail weren't exactly open to filing change of address cards at the post office. I sighed. Ranger usually had the guys scope out other known locations for the skip at this point. I didn't think Jake wanted to hear any more about Ranger just now, though.

Jake tossed the apartment , making a huge mess, destroying thing. He said he was "searching" for anything that would give us clues to McLean's whereabouts, but I was pretty sure he was just frustrated. After all, Ranger and the guys could "search" a place in such a way that no one would ever even know they had done it. There would never be a thing out of place.

I helped Jake "search" the place, but we didn't find anything useful. It was as though McLean knew we were coming and wiped the place clean. I bet there wouldn't even be any fingerprints. Jake had gone into a corner of the apartment , and was whispering softly into his cell phone. I grimaced. I had once again forgotten to charge mine, so it only had two bars left. I turned it off, saving the power for later in case I needed it. Jake kept looking across the room at me while he made the call. Sensible Stephanie found something a little weird about that.

We walked back out to our cars, trying not to look like the humiliated bounty hunters we were. I unlocked Valerie's car, and got in, ready to formulate "Plan B." I was really starting to wonder about Jake. It didn't seem like he could help me learn anything. In fact, it seemed like I knew some stuff that he didn't, which was hard to believe. At least he'd let me in on the action. If Bobby or Lester or Zip had come here with me, I wouldn't have gotten anywhere near that apartment until they'd found it to be empty.

Still, Sensible Stephanie was starting to make some sense. Jake didn't seem to have much that he could teach me. And he really hated Ranger. So, why would he want to have anything to do with an inept bounty hunter like me? Suddenly, Sensible Stephanie was roaring in my head, like a freight train. " Unless.."

No sooner had the thought crossed my mind than my door was yanked open. Jake stood there, livid. I tried to keep the expression off my face, the look out of my eyes, that said I knew what he was up to. I fumbled through my purse, looking for the panic button that Ranger always made me carry. I realized in dismay that Stupid Stephanie had tossed and smashed both the panic button and the tracker so that Ranger and the guys couldn't follow me. I hate Stupid Stephanie.

Jake grabbed my arm, and yanked me out of the car. The content of my purse went flying all over the car. " Comeon Stephanie. I found another place where McLean could be hiding out. " His eyes were cold and filled with range. His gun was once again in his hand and pointed at me. I tried to resist, and started to struggle with him. I knew that if I could elbow him or knee him in the balls, I could get away. But he was apparently onto that plan, since he guarded his balls like a goalie guards the net.

I struggled with him and started to scream. " Yeah, Steph, " Sensible Stephanie screamed in my head, " like screaming will help. Around here , they hear screams all the time, and ignore them." I tried to twist away, focusing al my attention on the gun in his right hand.

He was sneering at me. " Oh, no. Stephanie, don't worry. I won't kill you. Not yet. I want Ranger to know I have you and that you are suffering first. THEN I'll kill you. That cocksucker rejected me. I'll take what matters most to that fucker."

I struggled hard, my eyes never leaving the gun. I realized my mistake when I felt something jab me in the neck. My struggling ceased as I got dizzy and the world blackened and started to spin. As I lost consciousness, I felt Jake sling me into his SUV. Shit.

I felt the van start up and pull quickly out from the curb as I thought , " I Ranger or the guys will come get me. Then I realized that I had no tracker, no panic button, just a nearly dead cellphone in my pocket. They would have no way to find me. I cursed myself for being so stupid, then the blackness overtook me.


	6. Chapter 6

Nothing Ever Goes As Planned- Chapter 6

Please leave reviews, as they motivate me.

Steph's POV

I felt the prick of a needle in my neck, and as Monroe threw me into the SUV. I realized that Ranger and the guys had no way to track me. Then the blackness closed in.

Bobby's POV

We met up with Lula as she was coming out of the mall, and Steph wasn't with her. Shit.

Zip cornered her. " Where is she?" Lula played dumb. " Where is who?" Fuck. We did not have time for this. " Look, we know Steph is trying to avoid us. Where did she go, and what car is she in?" Lula and Valerie were trying to do that Innocent shit, and it was pissing me off.

Zip was done with being nice. " Look, Lula, Steph is hanging out with someone who is really bad news. She is trying to lose us . We need to find her. She could be in serious danger. " He drew himself up to his full height, intimidating even the fearless Lula. I knew he wouldn't hurt her, and she should know that, too, but Zip was pissed enough to make her wonder if he would. . " Lula, this is serious shit. We need to know where Steph is."

Lula finally caved. She obviously had concerns about Steph hanging out with Monroe, too. Steph could be in real trouble. " I don't know where she went , really. She just said she and that Monroe guy were going after Donald McLean. She took Valerie's Nissan, because she was afraid you put a tracker on her car."

Shit. She and Monroe had gone after Donald McLean. He wasn't that bad of a skip, but she was in just as much danger form Monroe as she was from McLean. She'd read the file. Why the hell did she still want to go anywhere with him? I like Steph, but she is so damn foolish sometimes. How the hell were we supposed to protect her when she was doing dumb ass shit like this. I was so fucking pissed at her right now.

Valerie gave us the license plate for the car, and I radioed in to the Rangeman control room. "Woody, check the file for Donald McLean. What are his last known locations? Tell Ranger that Stpeh took off from the mall in Valerie's car to meet Monroe and go after McLean."

Shit. Ranger was going to kill us for losing her. Well, fuck. Lets see him trail someone in an a non-monitored car without being seen. I wasn't really worried about Ranger's wrath as much as I worried about Steph alone with Monroe.

Woody called back. " McLean's LKA ( last known address) is 560 Lakeview St. #24B."

"Roger. Tell Ranger we're going to that location."

Ranger's POV

What the fuck was she thinking? Steph ditches her panic button, and evades my men to take off in a car with no GPS tracker to go with Monroe to chase a skip. What the fuck is wrong with her? She read the file. She knows what he's like. Steph thinks he is going to teach her something, but there is no reason an experienced bounty hunter would hang out with an inept one like her without an ulterior motive. Monroe was using her to get to me. And she was playing right into his hands. Fuck. I slammed my fist on the desk. I love her, but she is so damn careless.

Woody raced into my office, without even bothering to knock.

"Ranger, Bobby and Zip called in. The Nissan Steph borrowed from Valerie is parked on the side of Lakeview Rd., McLean's LKA. " Woody 's expression echoed the worried look that I know was on my face. "No sign of McLean or Steph anywhere around. The Nissan door was ajar and the contents of her purse was spilled all over the inside of the car. It appears there may have been a struggle. I called her cell phone repeatedly. Its off, calls are going straight to voicemail."

Goddamn it. This was bad. Either McLean had her or Monroe did. And I'd bet its Monroe. McLean did car theft, but he isn't brave enough to kidnap someone.

I went to issue orders to Woody, but he had anticipated my orders and had gone off to implement them. My men know tactics and are well trained.

Woody briefed me on the plans. "All men are called in, 21 hour shifts until Steph is found. I sent several men to stake out McLean's haunts, and all of Monroe's known locations. We put a trace on all Monroe's credit cards, so we'd be alerted if he used them and bulletins out to look for his cars. I sent Junior and Manuel to Steph's parents and to check in with all her friends, in case she told one of them where she was going. "

Monroe knew that the best way to hurt me was through Steph. And she had played right into his hands.

Steph's POV

The blackness was interrupted by a shaft of cloudy light. I couldn't breathe because something was across my mouth and part of my nose. I seemed to be lying on my arms, and my hands and feet were tied. I felt myself being jostled, then the jostling stopped and I was placed on a solid surface. Then the blackness took over again.

I fought my way back to partial consciousness .I woke to pain. Everywhere. My face throbbed, as if it had been beaten. I couldn't breathe because the tape was still over my mouth. My ribs hurt, and my arms and legs were still tied. I was in a dimly lit space, impossible to tell how large it was. The dimness was abruptly interrupted by a bright, blinding light. I squinted, trying to see past it.

I heard a voice, muffled. " Smile for the camera, Steph. That's right. I'm going to record all of this so that fucker Ranger can see how much you are enjoying my attentions. No point torturing and killing you if he can't see the pain you are in. "

The bright light steadied, as he put the camera on a stand. He pointed his gun at me, then surprisingly, took out the clip and laid it on a bench." No point using the gun, that is too quick. But by the time I'm done with you, you'll be begging me to kill you. I saw him with a small metal object- my cellphone. " And what torture it is to know that your phone is right here. You could call for help, except, too bad, you can't get to it can you? They say the worst form of torture involves having the instruments of your salvation in sight but out of reach."

He got in front of the camera, and started talking, " Hello, Ranger, this is Monroe. I know you've been looking for Stephanie. Here she is. I'm sure she wishes you were here. Thought you might want to see what we've been up to." Then I was lost in the darkness again.

Hal's POV

The Rangeman control room was like a war room, organized chaos. This was a war, a war to find Steph and kick Monroe's ass. Everyone tense, frustration and anger simmering just below the surface. All the guys were on duty. We'd even involved some of our contacts at Trenton PD, who would help us "under the radar." We didn't want to involve the PD officially, because Ranger wanted to be in control of this operation. He wasn't bound by shit like search warrants and civil rights and shit. He could go in, kill the fuck out of Monore and not have to worry about laws.

Ranger and Ram had been working over a GOS map of Trenton. "Ranger, latest reports from the field. Steph's parents haven't heard from her in two days. Cal and Binky caught McLean, but he claims he hasn't seen Steph or Monroe. No action on any of Monroe's credit cards."

Ranger looked up and acknowledged my report with just a slight nod of his head. I could see the tension radiating through his body, just like it was for all of us. I am not usually restless, but I couldn't stop the tension from rolling through me. When we found Steph, Ranger was going to kill her for putting us through this.

I got a call from the front desk. " Ranger, the front desk called. We received a small package from UPS. It isn't a bomb or a biological weapon." How cool is Rnageman that we had equipment to screen for bombs and biological agents. We were way cooler than the NTSB. Fuck them.

"It's a tape. Addressed to you." Shit. I had a bad feeling about this. Ranger's head shot up. Bring it to the conference room. Ram, Lester , Brett, Vince, come with me.

Ranger's POV

I sat in the conference room chair while Brett put on the tape. If this was what I think it is, Monroe is going to die horribly and painfully.

" _Hello, Ranger, this is Monroe. I know you've been looking for Stephanie. Here she is. I'm sure she wishes you were here. Thought you might want to see what we've been up to."_

I heard myself make a growling noise when I saw that he had Steph , bound and gagged, covered with bruises. He was torturing her, and she was screaming. She was naked, and I could see bruises over much of her body.

That fucker thought he knew torture? He didn't know shit about torture. I learned torture from the best in the world, and this fucker was going to be in for pain like he can't imagine when I get him. And if he killed Steph… I shook myself. I couldn't think about Steph. I had to put my feelings aside and think logically, like a detective.

" It looks like a warehouse, and sounds like it from the echo," Brett said. Lester checked the maps of Trenton for empty warehouses and cross-reference it with buildings owned by Monroe or his associates.

" _You thought you could just write me off, Manoso. I can torture as well as you can. You rejected me. All I ever got to hear was Rangeman Rangeman Rangman. I 'll kill you, but first you are going to watch your sweetie die."_

Fuck. Steph was barely conscious, bruised, and her voice was hoarse from screaming. I felt like shit that she was suffering all this because of me. There were so damn many empty warehouses in Trenton, but we'd search them all if we had to. Assuming he is still in the city.

I watched him backhand Steph across the face, and she was too tired out to scream. Fucker was dead.

Steph's POV

All I knew was confusion and pain. I was naked and I hurt everywhere. My head hurt, and I couldn't breathe. Monroe had taken the gag off my mouth so I could scream, but I think I had a few broken ribs, which prevented me from breathing well. . I think one of my legs was broken. My abdomen hurt and my whole torso was throbbing. Plus, I was lying in my own urine.

I opened my eyes slightly and everything was a blur. I didn't see Monroe anywhere. Maybe he went to get another camera. I had no idea how long it had been, but it felt like forever. My head spun, I had been drugged. My right hand was free, and after flexing it for a moment, I found it worked ok.

I squinted, trying to get my vision to focus and my head to clear around the pain. The gun was still on the table, but the clip was gone. Next to it was , my cell phone.

I remembered that it was down to two bars. If I could get to it, it might have enough juice left for a call. I started to use my good leg and my free arm to scoot across the floor. I had to stop every few seconds to catch my breath from the pain and the exertion. My vision was blurry. God, please don't let Monroe come back or I was dead.

I don't know how long it took, but I was finally next to the table with my phone. Now I just had to get it off the table. After falling three times, I managed to boost myself up enough to knock the phone to the floor. It made a loud clattering noise, and I froze, worried that Jake would hear it and come back.

With my good hand I flipped it open. I saw two bars. Oh, God, please let me get reception in here. I couldn't remember anyone's number, so I dialed #1.

Bobby's POV

I had never seen so much activity in the control room. Every full time Rangmean employee, and some contract workers had been called in to look for Steph. I had gotten three hours of sleep after my last shift, and now I was on again, coordinating communications in the control room.

I was busy juggling radios, cell phones, and walkies, when one of the outside lines rang.

"Rangeman. Brown speaking."

Silence. And what may have been heavy breathing. Plus, the reception sucked.

We had put a trace on all our lines, and I motioned for Ram to start the trace on this call.

"Rangeman Security. Brown Speaking," I repeated, more loudly.

More heavy breathing, then a small, shaky voice.

"Bob-by?"

"Steph! Is that you , baby?," I practically yelled into the phone. All the activity in the room stopped abruptly when I said her name. The control room was completely silent, the guys all watching me.

" Bob-by?" she repeated, her voice hoarse and shaking.

"yeah, Bobby. Where are you?"

"Bob-by, I need help…"


	7. Chapter 7

Nothing Ever Goes As Planned- Chapter 7

Please leave feedback, as I live for it.

Bobby's POV

"Steph? Sweetie, where are you?" As soon as I said her name, the frantic activity in the room stopped. Manny instantly got on the phone to Ranger while Lester tried to trace the signal from Steph's phone.

"Bob-by? She was hyperventilating and repeating herself. She sounded out of it. Shit. Maybe she was drugged? I fell back on my Rangers and medic training and stayed calm and asked simple questions.

" Sweetie, where are you? Are you hurt?"

More static and words that were unintelligible , mumbled, like her mouth wouldn't move well. "Dunno where I am. Hurts everywhere. Help me. " I could tell she was trying to stay calm, but her voice was shaking, and she was on the brink of hysteria.

"Steph, honey. Its gonna be down."

Fuck. It was impossible to tell what kind of condition she was in. She was probably hurt pretty badly but I couldn't really assess her over the phone. Lester was motioning that he had the GPS coordinates for the call from the phone .

More of the heavy breathing and mumbling. " Bob- by," she said in between gasps. "It hurts, bleeding. Then, total panic was in her voice, "He's coming back. I have to go."

Shit. THAT couldn't be good.

"Steph, I need you to leave the phone on."

I heard her put the phone back down, and then there was just some more static and a weird scooting noise.

Ranger ran in just as Lester had gotten a fix on the GPS signal from the phone.

" Ok, sweetie, we know where you are. We're coming. "

Silence.

"Steph?"

"Hurry, he's coming back…"

Ranger's POV

When Manny told me that Steph was calling, I dropped everything and ran to the control room. I caught only the tail end of the call.

Bobby said, " She is conscious but said she hurt s everywhere. And that he's coming back. Her voice was slurred, like she was drugged or something."

I had to stop for a split second and calm the rage that coursed through my veins. I was going to cut that fucker Monroe into a million pieces. I had to close my eyes and take a few deep breaths before I could think rationally again. I never get this upset about anything, but then, I've never had someone like Steph in my life before. Please, just let her be ok, I found myself thinking.

Lester ran up. "The cell signal bounced off a tower in Newark. The call came from a warehouse in an area just this side of Newark. I can't narrow it down to a specific one, but within a two block radius. One of the abandoned warehouses used to belong to a former associate of Monroe's named Jules Kemp. "

My mind snapped to work, like the military strategist that I am. " Ok, there are four warehouses in that two block area. I want twenty guys, five per group, each group searching a warehouse. I mean SEARCH every fucking inch of the place. I want Hal in another SUV on communications. She is obviously hurt, so Bobby, take an SUV with a full medic kit and lets have an ambulance on standby."

"Lester, Bobby, Ram, and Woody, you'll be on my team. We'll start with the Kemp warehouse. Tank, you lead another team, and you assign the other teams. Get dressed and I want full mission weaponry. Gear up, and we'll meet in the garage in fifteen minutes. Its about an hour drive to Newark, so lets hustle. Understood? " There was a chorus of " yes, sirs", then scrambling to the equipment room.

" Oh, Lester," I added. " Notify Trenton PD that we have located her but that WE will handle the infiltration and extraction. "

The equipment room was filled with sounds of guns being loaded, backpacks being stuffed, Kevlar being fastened, communication equipment being checked. It was like preparing for an invasion. Twenty guys were in there, and not one of them spoke, but it was no secret what they were thinking. They were all hoping to be the one to fucking kill Monroe in the most painful way they could think of.

We were all just praying that Steph was ok. Ok, truth be told, we were a little pissed at her , too. Everyone warned her about Monroe, and she didn't listen. She can be so damn stubborn and it might get her killed this time. Damn her. Why can't she ever fucking listen to me?

I loaded my utility belt with my guns, two knives, a stun gun, cuffs, flash bang grenades, etc. I grabbed a pair of NVGs, which might come in handy since the warehouses were all abandoned and dark. It was fucking stupid to take so many weapons when I would kill that fucker Monroe with my bare hands.

I looked over at Bobby. He had to gear himself up, and also make sure his medic kit was stocked for any need. I couldn't believe how I felt- scared. Not for me. I have been in horrendous situations and never been scared for myself. I was scared that we might be too late to save Steph.

I grabbed my rifle and left the equipment room, my guys following behind, armed for an invasion.

Steph's POV

I left the phone slightly open on the table and scooted back to where Monroe had left me. I put my arms behind me and tried to pretend like I hadn't moved. The space was so dimly lit and eerily quiet except for my heavy breathing and his ominous footsteps. Every one of those steps was a step closer to my death. Shit. If I live through this, I will never complain about Ranger's guys ever again, I thought, as I saw Monroe come into the dim light.

I wondered how I had ever thought that his face was attractive. As he came back into the light, it just looked maniacal. I tried to breathe deeply to stay calm but I could only really gasp. The shaft of pain that shot through me reminded me of my broken ribs. I hurt all over, and I wasn't going to be able to hold up to much more of his torture.

" Stephanie, did you miss me? Well, don't worry. I have a lot more excitement planned for you." He went over and fiddled with the camera. " I am sure Ranger is going to love this tape, even more than the last one."

He walked over to me and touched my ripped blouse, his fingertips stroking my breasts. I jerked back and spit at him. He backhanded me again and kicked me in the ribs and stomach. His face contorted, reddening with anger. His hands grabbed my head, twisiting in my hair, covered with blood. " Ranger is now going to watch his precious little toy get raped by his rival." He wasn't Ranger's rival. He wasn't even on the same scale with Ranger. He smacked me again and I realized that I had just said that out loud.

He grabbed my head, pulling hard on my hair, while his face buried itself in my chest. I pulled my head back and surprised him by pulling my hands out from under me and gouging his eyes. Unfortunately, since I was not real strong now, it didn't have quite the effect I wanted. He merely grunted, and batted my hands away, then imprisoned them behind me with his hand. I squirmed as hard as I could, but every movement of my body sent pain shooting through me, tears leaking out of my eyes. _Please , Ranger, hurry,_ I begged in my mind.

Jake grabbed me again and I managed to bring the knee of my good leg up as hard as I could towards his crotch. It wasn't a direct ball hit, but it startled him enough that he loosened his grip on me, and I managed to scoot away. The warehouse was creepily silent except for his grunting and my gasping for air and occasional sob. I was not going to let him rape me again , but there was no way that I could.

My eyes fell on the table with the phone and the gun. I had seen Jake take the clip out of the gun. I suddenly remembered something that Ranger had taught me. We sub-automatics, even if you took out the clip, if it had been cocked first, there would still be a bullet in the chamber. Jake might have thought of that, but still, there was a chance. My head was spinning so badly that everything seemed to be happening in a daze, a blur. It took a few seconds for me to be able to be able to move through the pain and nausea, but I started to creep slowly towards the table.

Jake saw me and grabbed the ankle of the broken leg to pull me back. For a second, I literally saw stars and I screamed from the Agonizing pain shot that through me " Get back here, bitch," he yelled. He pulled me back over to him, my head bouncing against the concrete floor. I was dizzy and the warehouse was spinning. I tried to pry myself back upright for more leverage and I poked him hard in the eyes. He howled and let go again, and I started my painfully slow trip back across the floor. I could hear him yell, but I didn't look back. I was so dizzy that I could barely keep my head up and now my head was bleeding. I had to stop after a few seconds to catch a breath.

I didn't even worry about him anymore. I spent all my attention and energy straining to get that gun. Please God, let it have just one bullet. Tears trickled out of my eyes, as I prayed Ranger wouldn't be much longer. I was almost to the table when a huge weight landed on me and flattened me, knocking me senseless. Jake was on top of me, pinning me. He was trying to pin me under his weight, but I managed to grab the table leg and shake it. I could see the gun slide partially across the table.

Jake had pinned my arms and now had gone back to his attempts to rape me. He fingers were in my tattered clothes and he was opening his pants. I felt him jam his fingers into me, then I screamed as I was penetrated. I pushed with my leg and managed to shake the table hard enough that both the gun and the phone clattered to the floor.

It was about five feet from me. Jake now had his pants off and his dick had come out. I grabbed his dick and yanked as hard as I could, yelling at the pain this caused me. But it hurt Jake way worse. He let go of me and grabbed his dick, cupping it protectively. As soon as he let go, I scooted towards the gun. My vision was narrowing, like I was going to pass out, but I kept one eye on Jake and one on the gun. It was so close, but still so far away.

My hand was just about to grab it, when Jake's hand covered mine and squeezed hard, trying to make me drop it. The more I held on, the tighter his grip got. The pain was incredible, but if he was trying to get the gun from me, that meant there probably was a round in the chamber. His grip tightened so hard that my hand flew open and the gun fell back on the floor. He tried to reach for it, and I twisted causing unbelievable pain in my torso. I elbowed him as hard as I could on the side of his face near his temple. Surprised by this, he fell off me and I was able to reach out and grab the gun.

I grabbed the gun, and managed to drag myself halfway up. I was in so much pain I could barely even sit upright and my head spun. He wasn't wearing Kevlar, and the chest would make a bigger target than the head, but a head shot would be sure to kill him. I yelled suddenly as he rose up again, lurching forward, just a few inches from me. I screamed at the same time that I pointed the gun. My hands were shaking so badly I nearly couldn't hold the gun. I jerked at the trigger, praying there really was a round in the chamber. I watched his head explode from the close range shot, and I screamed when blood and brains splattered all over me. He instantly fell over, his head gone. I kept the gun pointed at him, and sat, propped against the table, struggling against the horrible pain. I wanted to think of some cool line to say like in the movies, but I only had the energy to sit there and stare.

Ranger's POV

I drove with the pedal on the floor, racing to Newark, silently praying that Steph was alive. My hands were gripping the wheel so hard that my hands were white. Behind me, four other Rangeman SUVs sped with us, an army racing in to liberate the prisoner.

I glanced at the phone in Bobby's hand, the one that was monitoring Steph's open line. After she put the phone down, we heard some muffled words, some screams, grunts, and what sounded like a scuffle, the banging when the phone was dropped, then a gunshot, then, nothing…

"Steph, honey, this is Bobby , can you hear me?" Bobby had been calling out to Steph for the last ten minutes, but we heard nothing on the other end of the line.

Bobby clutched his medical bag and tried again to raise Steph on the phone. There was silence in the SUV.

We got to the two blocks Lester had pinpointed. The SUVs behind me fell out to search their assigned warehouses. I screeched to the warehouse that we thought they were in, and readied our weapons.

The guys got out for last minute orders. We needed to be stealthy. We had only heard one gunshot, and we had no idea what was going on in there. We didn't want to spook Monroe and have him kill her. We communicated using hand signals. Bobby came with me, Lester , Ram , and Woody would come in from the sides. The inside of the warehouse was completely dark and completely silent. It was scary how silent it was. We crept through just as silently, searching everywhere.

Lester, Ram , and Woody signaled that they had found a dimly lit area ahead, so Bobby and I circled around to approach it. We crept closer to the dim area, but didn't see anyone.

Then we saw a table, and , oh shit… there was Steph.


	8. Chapter 8

Nothing Ever Goes As Planned- Chapter 8

I actually read a scene like this in a book, and thought it would fit well here. Please leave feedback, as I live for it.

Ranger's POV

Oh, fuck. We found Stephanie. She was leaning against a rickety table, barely sitting upright. Her eyes were open, but glazed over, and I wasn't sure how much she was seeing. She was covered in blood and gore - I wasn't sure how much of it was hers and how much of it was from Monroe, lying a few feet from her, with his head exploded. Her hands were locked around a gun, her arms were shaking violently, and she was breathing rapidly, practically hyperventilating. Her face was swollen and bruised; her shirt was ripped open, exposing her from neck to navel. She had bruises all over her upper body. One leg was definitely broken. Shit. It had taken us just over 18 hours to find her, and look at what that fucker had done to her. Her pants were, down, and oh, fuck, it looked like she might have been raped. My hands clenched, and I wanted to break something at the thought of Monroe defiling Steph.

It looks like she shot him. Good for her. Bastard deserved that and worse. The guys and I split up, approaching her silently form both directions. I made eye contact with Bobby, who shrugged and shook his head. She was staring, transfixed, at the dead man on the floor. She didn't seem to realize that there was anyone else there with her. Holy fuck. We all exchanged surprised looks. We couldn't believe the condition she was in.

Lester, Ram, Bobby and I all had our guns trained on her. Like we were going to shoot her. We were more afraid of what might happen with that gun she was holding unsteadily. I knew she'd never shoot us on purpose, but shit, she was totally out of it now. She could accidentally fire on us. Lester and Ram kept their guns on her, while Bobby and I advanced slowly. "Steph, babe, it's Ranger. Put down the gun. " She didn't seem to even hear me. Her eyes were glazed over. I wasn't sure if it was from shock , injuries, or if she'd been drugged. Her wobbly hands held the gun on Monroe as if she were afraid he would get up again. Steph obviously didn't realize that she had put a bullet right in the center of Monroe's head and he was dead.

"Steph, babe. Put down the gun. He's dead. He can't hurt you." I was speaking slowly, trying to calm her shaking and rapid breathing. Suddenly, she swung the gun in an arc, as if just realizing that five guys were approaching her. I don't think she knew who we were, just that we were men. She swung the gun in an arc, finally training it on Lester, who was holding his gun on her. Her eyes were dazed, and she didn't seem to realize it was Lester, she just saw him as a man with a gun pointed at her.

Her gun hand was shaking terribly and her whole body seemed to be trembling. Lester stopped immediately. I made eye contact with him, and he nodded. He had figured out the situation. He slowly crouched down and dropped his gun. It clattered loudly on the floor. " Its ok, Steph, its just me, Lester. Its ok." He spoke softly to her as he slowly put down his gun and put his hands in the air.

My eyes communicated with Ram, who was to the left and behind her. He kept his gun aimed at her. I knew that he would never shoot her. If he had to, he would shoot the gun out of her hand. But she was already terrified half out of her mind. I didn't want to shoot at all if we could avoid it.

" No, stop." She whipped the gun back at Monroe,trying frantically to keep her attention on him and Lester at the same time. Bobby crept slowly up towards Monroe's body. Steph yelled, " No." She was waving the gun wildly I knew she wouldn't shoot him on purpose, but she was a little out of her mind right now. She was gasping and shaking, the gun wobbling as it waved back and forth, as she kept trying to divide her attention between Lester and Ram. Lester kept speaking softly to her, his arms still in the air, keeping her distracted while I crept up on her other side, slowly, not wanting to startle her.

I got to her and slowly reached for her gun, pointing it toward the floor, then gently taking it out of her hands. She didn't even seem to notice, she was focused on Lester. I saw Ram lower his gun with a sigh of relief. We were both glad we hadn't had to shoot at Steph.

Her eyes finally focused on me and I saw recognition. " Ranger," she whispered. The danger was over, and the adrenaline that had kept her going seemed to leave her, and she suddenly collapsed like an airless balloon. Bobby came rushing over as I held her and eased her to the floor. "Bobby?" she said, as if recognizing him for the first time.

Bobby's POV

Lester, and Ram stood over her for a moment, totally appalled at her condition and helpless to know what to do. I started issuing orders. "Get me blankets, and my medic kit." Lester ran to get those things. Steph was shaking, her eyes were staring at me, unfocused. "Bobby?" She was hyperventilating. "It hurts. I can't breathe." Ranger tried to calm her while I assessed her. Shit. Thank God a lot of the gore and some of the blood on her was Monroe's. Even so, she was in bad shape.

She appeared to be either in shock or heavily drugged, or both. She had heavy, black bruises all over her face, chest, abdomen and genitals. Ranger's eyes met mine as he noticed the bruises on her genitals at the same time I did. I didn't even want to think of that. She had possibly been raped. I could tell she had several broken ribs, which may have punctured a lung, which was why she couldn't breathe. She had a head injury, I couldn't tell how serious at this point. Her abdomen was hard, signifying possible internal bleeding. Ram immediately covered her with his jacket, wanting to preserve as much of her dignity as he could. Ranger was holding her, looking her straight in the eyes. "Babe, look at me. Look at me honey." Steph managed to focus on him for a second. " You're safe. Its going to be ok." That fucker Monroe had beat the hell out of her. But she'd gotten the last laugh. She killed the fucker.

Nothing in my medic training had prepared me to deal with a situation like this. Especially involving a woman I cared about. I could see murder in , Ram's and Lesters eyes., but that was nothing compared to the simmering black anger that I saw In Ranger's. Steph ahd obviously been brutally beaten and raped. We had to put that aside and take care of her. She needed us now more than ever.

Steph was out of it, and I knew she didn't want a bunch of men prodding her. "Where does it hurt, sweetie?" I reached out slowly and gently to touch her stomach and she cringed and pulled away. But she didn't put up much of a fight since she was barely conscious. Lester came in with blankets to cover her shaking body so she wouldn't go into shock. Her head was lolling, her eyes closed. I started an IV and that's when the medics came in. I gave them my assessment of her injuries, then I let the medics take over her care, watching to make sure they were doing what they should.

Ranger never let go of her hand. I knew he was blaming himself for her not getting hurt. Blaming himself that we hadn't found her in time. He jumped into the ambulance with the medics as the rest of us followed in the SUV.

Ranger's POV

The entire ambulance ride, I didn't let go of Steph. She was in bad shape and it pissed me off. I was glad she'd killed Monroe- that gave her some power. But I was sad he was dead, because I wanted to kill him myself. And my way would have involved infinitely more suffering than a simple bullet to the head. That bastard had raped her. I was also mad at her for not listening to me, to ll of us, when we'd tried to warn her about Monroe. She'd had to learn the hard way, and look what it had cost her. No one deserved this.

No sooner had we arrived at the hospital and the medics had rushed Steph to the OR room, then I was confronted by two detectives from Trenton and Newark PDs. I was surprised they even approached me , given the murderous look on my face. I had informed them Steph was missing , of course, because I needed their resources for the search. But it was over now, handled, and they didn't need to be involved or asking any questions. The more quickly and quietly this was handled, the better for Steph. My men and I would handle it. We didn't need the cops.

Most of the Trenton cops knew me by sight. Most of them treated me warily, not sure what side of the law I was on. I tried to ignore them . My thoughts were all about getting to the OR waiting room and Stephanie. One big guy came right up to me and stood in front of me. " Mr. Manoso, we understand that you and your men found Ms. Plum. We need to ask you several questions. We'll also need to ask Ms. Plum some questions."

No fucking way. No fucking way was I dealing with him right now. And Steph wasn't dealing with him ever, if I could help it. She was the fucking victim. She had been kidnapped, tortured, and raped by that fucker Monroe, no fucking way was she going to have to answer questions about it like she was a fucking criminal. I stiffened and was just about to shove him aside and go past him, when I heard the swishing of the doors and saw my men enter. Ram and Lester came over and ran interference for me. " If you would like to ask Mr. Manoso any questions, he will answer them later, through his attorney, " Henry Luganis." Lester and Ram had physically herded the cops away so that I could go to the OR and be with Stephanie.

I


	9. Chapter 9

Nothing Ever Goes As Planned- Chapter 9

Sorry this has taken so long, but I have been bummed and haven't felt like writing. Please leave reviews, as they make me feel better.

Ranger's POV

I sure as hell wasn't talking to any cops just now, and I was glad that Lester had thought to call Rangman's lawyer. There was no way in hell I was letting Steph get treated like a criminal because she killed a bastard who was torturing her. But I couldn't really focus on that right now, all I could think about was Steph. She'd been wheeled briskly into the OR and I knew it might be some time before I heard anything about her condition. I sent Bobby in to see what he could find out. He is usually a bit less intimidating than I am, and they know him well here, so he may be able to get info that I can't.

Bobby went into the OR while Tank, Lester, Ram and I stood in the waiting room, completely silent. You would have thought that the deadly menacing, pissed off looks on our faces would have signaled the cops to heed our warning to stay away, but apparently these cops weren't the sharpest tools in the shed. The two detectives were staying a bit down the hall, occasionally looking over at us, not yet daring to approach.

" I don't want them anywhere near Steph," I whispered quietly to the guys. " I don't want them making her feel like a criminal because she killed Monroe." All the guys nodded somberly. I could tell they were as pissed off as I was. Ram was livid. " Geezus fucking Christ, the bastard raped and tortured her. They don't thi nk that is a justifiable reason for killing him?" Lester's hands were clenched and he winced at the thought of Steph being raped.

Bobby came out of the OR. "Well, I don't have much to report. They are still assessing all her injuries. So far it looks like the most critical injuries are the collapsed lung, the broken femur, and possibly the head injury. She is in surgery now, and holding her own, but it will probably be a long while before we hear anything definite. Bobby's voice changed from concern to icy coldness. " Their first priority is stabilizing her but they are trying to preserve as much evidence as they can and they are doing a rape kit. " None of us could handle the thought of Stephanie having been raped.

The standoff between the cops who were afraid to approach us, and us Rangemen, who definitely didn't want to be approached, continued in tense silence for another 10 minutes, when it was interrupted by a commotion in the doorway. Zip had arrived, escorting Rangeman's attorney, Mr. Luganis.

The small man in the $1,000 suit approached me. " Mr. Manoso, sir, I got briefed on the way here about the basics of what happened, but would you like to give me details?" I leveled him with my "are you a fucking idiot ?" stare. I paid him a lot to put up with my temperament. " No, I wouldn't. All I care about right now is Steph. I am not dealing with anything else until I know how she is. "

I saw movement in the periphery of my vision and noticed one of the cops had approached, obviously recognizing Luganis. He swaggered over and flashed his badge. "Arrogant fucker," I thought. " I'm Detective Newman. We're here to question Ms. Plum about her involvement in the murder of Mr. Monroe. When he said the word murder, Tank's arm came out and restrained me from punching him. Steph killed Monore, she didn't murder him. But Monroe used to be a cop, and they protect their own, even the dirty ones, so of course they considered it murder.

Luganis intercepted him. " Detective Newman, of course Ms. Plum and all Rangeman employees would be happy to cooperate with a police investigation, but Ms. Plum is in surgery for her serious wounds. She will not be able to speak to you for an indefinite time period, until she has sufficiently recovered to answer questions. " Newman was undeterred. He gave each of my men a quelling glare. " Well, I understand you were at the crime scene. I'd like to interview each of you, starting with you, Mr. Manoso." He stopped abruptly when I gave him my "come near me and I'll rip your nuts off, asshole" look. " Um, ok, Mr. Manoso, I understand you are worried about Ms. Plum right now." He turned to Bobby. " Why don't I start with you?" Bobby gave him a benign look and followed him over to an office the cops were using as a makeshift interrogation room.

Bobby's POV

I really wanted to be in the OR with Steph, but since it would be awhile till we knew anything, anyway, I decided to let the cop asshole ask me questions. I gave Ranger a grin and preceeded the cop to the office, Luganis following behind. I was so fucking pissed, I almost couldn't see straight. I know, Steph was foolish for not listening to us, and we'd deal with that later, but she sure as hell didn't deserve this. She didn't deserve to have been tortured and raped and she sue as hell didn't deserve to have people think she murdered someone. Luganis sat next to me at the narrow rectangular table. Newman sat on the other side, a tape recorder running on the table between us. Newman got all puffed up and pegged me with what he probably thought was an intimidating look. I could see how it might make some suspects wet their pants, but it didn't even phase me.

"…so, we came into the building and found Steph, beaten and raped on the floor," I said. Newman asked, " Where was Monroe?" Luganis gave me a look that told me not to answer that, but I didn't give a fuck. So I put on my most sincere face and lied. " Monroe was in front of her approaching her, almost on top of her." Luganis gave me a look, but I really knew how to lie. You didn't make it through years in Special Forces without being able to lie convincingly. I looked Newman right in the eye. " I approached and yelled to Monroe to get away from her. He didn't. So I picked up the gun and shot him point blank in the head."

If Luganis was surprised by my lie, he didn't show it. Newman's cop face fell and I could tell he was shocked. " YOU shot him?" repeated Newman. "Yep.," I said proudly. "But we tested the gun and only Monroe's and Ms. Plum's fingerprints were on it. "

"I'm not an idiot," I said, holding up my black Rangeman gloves. He asked, "Why didn't you shoot him to wound him just to get him away from her?" What a fucking stupid question. " Monroe had already tortured and raped Ms. Plum, a woman I am responsible for protecting, and for whom I have great affection. I don't shoot to wound. I shoot to kill." Luganis gave me a surprised look, blown away that I had just confessed to murder, but I just shrugged. Big fucking deal. I'd killed before, lots of times. Killing an asshole who deserved it didn't bother me. And I'd rather have it on record that I did it rather than have Steph feel guilty for shooting a piece of pond scum who deserved to die. Besides, not like the cops could prove anything. He asked me a couple more lameass questions and then I went back to the OR to check on Stephanie.

Lester's POV

Newman was pulling us guys one at a time to be questioned about what happened. There was still no definitive news about Steph's condition, so I figured I'd answer the cops questions so he'd leave me the fuck alone. Arrogant prick thought he'd intimidate me. He started leading me, " Your gun was found on the ground in the warehouse." "Yeah, I was closest to Monroe. He threatened to shoot Steph if I didn't drop my gun, so I did." I stopped and planted my most badass look at Newman. " And then,,," he prompted. I answered confidently. " Well, My gun was on the ground, he had a gun pointed at Steph. He started to approach her again and I knew he was going to beat or rape her again. So I shot him." Luganis looked as if he would have a coronary. Newman yelled, " YOU shot him? How if your gun was on the ground?" I am not a total idiot. " Steph's gun was lying next to her, where she had dropped it. I lunged for it when Monroe moved towards her, and of course, I was faster. I blew his fucking brains out." I said that last part proudly. Well, I WISHED I had blown his fucking brains out, so it was sort of true.

I saw a look of utter frustration on Newman's face, and Luganis trying to hide a grin. He had worked for Rangeman long enough to know we stuck to a moral code, and sometimes well, sometimes fuck the law, we did what was right. Like protecting the people we loved. People who were only guilty of a little bad judgement, and certainly didn't deserve to be brutally raped and accused of murder. " Why are your prints not on the murder weapon?" I gave him a patronizing look." We aren't amateurs, Newman, we wear gloves." I put on my most disgusted "concerned citizen" face. "And I can't believe the Trenton PD is taking time investigating a torturer and rapist being killed in self defense when there were real crimes happening out there. Is that It?" I asked nonchalantly.

Tank's POV

Newman sat across the table but a bit back from it, as if he were afraid of me. I played on his fear by giving him a menacing scowl. " So, uh, Tank… tell me what happened when you went into the warehouse and found Monroe." A fucking rapist got shot for raping and torturing a woman, you fuckhead, I thought. No damn way was I letting Steph feel guilty for killing someone who was hurting her. " Well, we approached and I saw Stephanie on the floor , badly hurt. One of my main duties at Rangeman is to see to her safety, so I ran to her to help her. As I did Monroe came up and lurched toward her. I told him to get away from her , but he didn't. So I put a bullet in his brain. " Luganis coughed and choked to hide a chuckle and Newman e looked like he would shit a brick. "YOU shot Monroe? , he yelled. " "Damn straight I did. He was threatening Stephanie and me." Newman looked like his eyeballs might bug out. " You didn't kill him with your gun, you killed him with Stephanie's?", he asked, obviously dubious. I shrugged. " It was on the ground, the closest one to me. I am a soldier, I react. Its what I do." Newman threw his pen on the table in frustration. " And I suppose you wore gloves and that is why your prints aren't on the gun." I had to stop myself from grinning. He'd obviously heard that before, like from the other guys. " Of course, Rangemen are not fucking amateurs." I stood up. " Now, if you have no more questions, we need to get back to my boss."

Ram's POV

I sat across from Newman, my voice soft, filled with inflection, like I was telling a kid a bedtime story or something. I knew that none of the other guys had told the truth either, so I didn't feel guilty about lying. Hell, I wanted to have been the one who killed that fucker, and that ought to count for the same as actually killing him. I was such a fucking good liar. There was no fucking way that Steph was going to be punished for defending herself from a rapist. Newman was sitting with his eyes glued to me, hanging on my every word. I continued, " So, Steph had the gun in her hand, as we were approaching the scene. But she got scared when she heard us coming behind her, so she dropped the gun and it skittered away." I stopped for emphasis. "Luganis was just sitting there, his head buried in one hand, as if he couldn't look up without laughing. And then, " Newman prompted. " And then, Monroe saw that she had dropped the gun, so he lunged at her. I saw him and yelled to her to get down. I ran towards him and shot that fucker right in the head." I raised my voice during that part, as if telling the most exciting part of a story. " How did you get her gun to shoot him with?", Newman asked. " I shot him with MY gun, of course. Why would I shoot him with her gun?" I looked at Newman like he was insane. " But the gun that was on the floor was the one that shot Monroe," he insisted. " Yes, but that was my gun. Everyone knows that Stephanie never carries a gun. She hates them." Newman's eyes nearly bugged out and Luganis looked like he was going to fall out of his chair.

Newman's POV

I did not fucking believe this. Four different guys had confessed to the same crime, each with a different but perfectly plausible rendition of events. And there was no way I could prove any of them were wrong. And they knew it, fuckers. I bet if I questioned Manoso, he'd confess to shooting Monroe , too. They were obviously all lying to protect the girl. But they knew there was no way I could prove it.

Manoso and the others were still waiting, a formidable black wall in the OR waiting room. I made a point to talk to Manoso before I left. " I'll be back later to interview Stephanie when she wakes up."

" You can try," I heard him say as I went throught the doorway and back to the crime scene.


	10. Chapter 10

Nothing Ever Goes As Planned- Chapter 10

Please leave reviews, as I live for them.

Bobby's POV

We all waited outside the OR for word about Steph's condition. I know that the others had the same feelings I did. Blood boiling anger at Monroe for daring to kidnap, touch, and rape her. Rage that the fucker died so quickly from Steph's bullet to the head instead of slowly, and painfully by my hand. Hurt and anger at Steph for not listening to us when we tried to warn her. Disbelief that the fucking cops were actually going to try to pursue this as a murder case. Good luck proving anything, assholes, when all of us guys confessed to killing Monroe. We had all confessed to murder to protect her. That was the kind of effect she had on us.

Mostly, I was worried and uncertain. I don't like feeling uncertain, it scares me. I was uncertain because I wasn't sure about how to deal with Steph. She had a lot of serious physical injuries. But I was a medic, those I knew what to do with. Bleeding, trauma, heart attack, those were things I could deal with. Taking care of physical injuries was very straightforward.

I was uncertain what to do about the other injury, the emotional injury from being raped. That was something I had no idea how to help. I looked around at the other guys with their blank faces on. I could tell from the looks in their eyes that they felt the same way. We were guys , big , fucking powerful kickass guys. Some of us had been tortured, sure, but we'd been trained to withstand that. We had never been violated to the extent Steph had. What the fuck did we know about how a woman felt after being raped. We all wanted to help and be there for her, but I was pretty sure that a bunch of big clumsy males hovering was not what a woman who had been raped wanted, no matter how much we cared about her. I sighed and went back into the OR to see what I could find out.

Ranger's POV

I had to think about what to do next, except that I couldn't think. My mind, usually so calm and controlled, was filled with nothing but rage. Instead of waiting in this damn waiting room, I wanted to be pounding the shit out of Monroe , except that the bastard was already dead. I was disappointed that I hadn't been the one to kill the fucker, but part of me was glad that Steph had. That gave her victory over him. He had tried to destroy her, instead she had destroyed him. She was still alive, he wasn't. End of story. I couldn't even look at the other guys, but I could feel their anger smoldering in the air.

Bobby came out of the OR, followed by a doctor and nurse. " Ms. Plum is stable. She lost a considerable amount of blood from numerous injuries including a fractured femur, broken ribs, collapsed lung, and some abdominal bleeding. She is breathing on her own now. She also had a head injury, but that appears to be relatively minor. The PD came in and photographed the injuries for their investigation."

I blanched at that, and wanted to yell at the docs for letting them anywhere near her, but Tank came up behind me and touched my arm. The doctor sighed, as if unsure he wanted to say what he was going to say next in front of several heavily armed, pissed off guys. " We did a rape kit on Ms. Plum. It came back positive for penetration, but we didn't find any semen. She was raped."

We all thought she had been, but hearing the doctor confirm it made us all rigid with anger. I knew we were all scowling at the doctor. Finally, Bobby broke the tension and asked, " When can Ranger see her?"

" Well, she is stabilized in ICU, so she can have one visitor at a time. She hasn't regained consciousness yet. I know the PD will want to talk to her when she does." The doctor seemed relieved to be able to take a step away from us. " The nurse will take you when you are ready."

After the doctor left, all my men huddled around so we could plan our strategy. I would go in to see Steph, and possibly Bobby, so he could interpret the medical-ese for me. Ram and Lester would stand guard outside her room. There was no fucking way Newman or any other cops were getting near her. We could handle them. We knew all the tricks.

Bobby and I entered Steph's room, and I had to stop and take a few deep breaths to calm the rage that threatened to overflow when I saw the damage that had been done to her. It was worse than I had remembered. Her cheeks were bruised black and she had a bandage on top of her head covering some of her curls. Her leg was elongated and casted, her torso swathed tightly in bandages. She was attached to the standard heart monitor and IVs. Her face was covered with an oxygen mask. It angered me that the PD had been taking pictures of her when she was helpless and unconscious, court case or not. Bobby stood outside, talking to the nurse, Lester and Ram took up sentry positions outside the room, and I stood next to the bed and gripped her hand.

I gripped Steph's hand and put my lips gently to the one spot on her face that was not bruised or bloody. "its ok, Babe, you are safe now." Damn. I was proud of her. She had killed that bastard Monroe. My eyes skimmed down her body, stopping at the area between her legs, now covered with blankets. I remembered how bad she had looked when we found her and imagined that asshole Monroe raping her. I had to force myself not to clench the hand that held Steph's as the rage coursed through me.

Bobby came in to see me with an update from the nurse, and he had made arrangements for a female therapist to see her when she woke up. I sat for over an hour, just holding her hand, watching her breathe, relieved that we had found her. In the quiet peacefulness of the room, I went into my zone.

I was pulled from my zone by the speeding up of the beeping of the monitors, and looked down to see Steph thrashing against the bed, trying to pull her hand from mine. Her eyelids were fluttering and it seemed as though she was in a nightmare. She didn't have much strength, but she was thrashing around with what she did have. I gripped her hand more firmly, and gently stroked her face. " steph, its ok. Don't be afraid. You are safe." I had to repeat myself over and over, just whispering, "its ok, you're safe" until she calmed down again. I hated to think that her unconscious had been reliving that real life nightmare she'd suffered with Monroe.

After another hour, her eyes fluttered and finally opened to that beautiful blue that I was afraid I would never see again. I squeezed her hand gently, " hey, babe," She smiled faintly at me. She knew she was safe and that I would make everything ok again.

I am standing in the corner of Steph's room, watching intently as the doctor examines her, her blue eyes now alert and open. She is in a lot of pain, and I know they are giving her pain meds that make her drowsy. The hospital staff have called the cops, letting them know that Steph is awake, but I don't want her to answer questions right now. Not ever, if I can help it. I just want her to rest and I will do what it takes to heal her. But I can already hear a commotion outside the room. I can imagine it is Newman, trying to get past my guys.

Ram's POV

I don't know who the fuck called Newman, but he isn't getting in to see Steph. He and some other pot bellied detective are flashing their badges to whoever will look at them. Newman approached the door and flashed his badge at us. " I am sure you men remember me, Detective Newman, and this is my partner Detective DuPree. We were told that Ms. Plum has regained consciousness and we need to interview her." No fucking way was that happening.

Lester stood directly in front of the door, glaring at Nemwan.

I stepped in front of Newman. " But I already told you that I killed Monore, so you have no reason to need to speak with her."

" I need to speak with her about the events leading up to you arriving , and, um, killing Monroe."

In other words, he wanted Steph to tell him every terrible detail of what had happened to her, so he could make it an official part of the investigation, which was not going to happen. " I don't know why you need to talk to her, I told you how I shot Monroe with MY gun. I doubt Steph remembers anything."

Lester looked at Newman menacingly. Lester spoke in a low, lethal voice. " You would have to wait anyway. The doctor is examining Stephanie now. You cannot go in." Newman stood right in front of Lester, his arms folded stubbornly, and I could tell he wasn't going to go away. Geezus fucking Christ, we had all fucking confessed to killing Monroe, what the fuck did he need to talk to Steph about. There was no way any of us were going to make her talk to some stranger about all the terrible things she went through. That wasn't going to happen.

Lester was right in Newman's face, his hands clenched, and I could tell that Lester was going to lose it soon and possibly haul off and hit Newman. Getting arrested for hitting a cop would be bad, but what the hell, why would Lester care? He had already confessed to murder. Lester was in Newman's face. " Ms. Plum will speak with you when she is strong enough and only under the advice of her lawyer."

From the corner of my eye, I saw Bobby whip out his cell phone and talk quietly into it. I had no idea what he was saying, only that he had called Woody in the control room at Rangeman.

Woody's POV

I got the call from Bobby at the hospital. Steph was conscious, but really not up to talking to any fucking cops. And the cops were insistent on getting in to talk to her. I fucking hate cops that are assholes. She just wakes up from the most horrible incident of her life and they expect her to start talking to a total stranger about it?

Bobby said that the cop was being an ass and that Lester was about to pound the shit out of him, so we needed a diversion. I got on the outside line and dialed the police station.

" Newark PD," the harried female voice on the phone said. I tried to make my voice sound scared and uncertain. Not that I have ever fucking been scared and uncertain, but I make others scared so I know what it sounds like."

" Um, yes, I am calling because I have some information about that shooting that happened at a warehouse last night with that bounty hunter, I have some eyewitness information. But it has to stay anonymous. Yes, I can come there to talk to the detectives investigating the case. Yes, I can be there in 20 minutes, thanks. "

I put down the phone and grinned. THAT should get that asshole cop away from Steph, at least for awhile.

Ram's POV

Lester and Newman were locked in a stare off, and I could tell Lester was working hard not to punch Newman. The stare-off was broken by the sound of Newman's phone going off. He reluctantly broke his gaze from Lester and fished it out of his pocket. " Newman." Pause. " What? Now. Ok, I'll be there in 20." Newman broke off the call and gave L ester a final glare. He gestured to his partner. "Come on DuPree, just got a call about an anonymous tip from an eyewitness at the shooting." He gave Lester a smug look.

"Guess we don't need these thugs to cooperate in order to solve the case." Newman and DuPree took off down the hall.

I just looked at Bobby and we both started to crack up laughing.

At least Steph was safe from those assholes for awhile.


	11. Chapter 11

Nothing Ever Goes As Planned- Chapter 11

Sorry that it has been so long since I updated this story. This chapter is kind of different, but I wanted to give the guys perspective about of what happened to Steph. Please leave reviews, as I live for them.

Ranger's POV

We had held Newman off from talking to Steph, stalled him for as long as we could with our fake confessions and Woody's "anonymous tip." Newman must have figured out that Rangeman was behind the fake tip because he came back to the hospital, pissed, with a court order demanding that he interview Stephanie. I don't know why the hell he needed to talk to her, he already had four confessions from the guys, and I had confessed to killing Monroe, too. Shit. How fucking many confessions did he need?

Steph's face was beaten and bruised and I had to hide a wince just looking at her. When we told her that Newman wanted to talk to her, she burst into tears and said she didn't want anyone to see how terrible she looked. She did look like hell, but us guys were used to seeing her a bit bruised and stuff. But I figured she was feeling scared and vulnerable, so if fixing her hair and makeup would make her feel stronger and more in control, that is what we were going to do.

So I called Lula and Connie and had them bring some hair and makeup stuff over. They have been in her room the last forty minutes, presumably brushing her hair and trying to cover the bruises. I told them to take their time, the longer we kept Newman waiting the better. Newman is of course, having a hissy fit, but Bobby, Lester , and I are out here and he isn't going in that room until we say he is.

I knew how hard it was going to be for Steph, to have to relive the most horrible thing that can happen to a woman in front of a bunch of strange men. I didn't really even want Luganis there, but we had to have a lawyer. Finally, the door opened, and Lula and Connie worked their way past the Rangeman blockade and came over to me.

"She look as good as she's gonna," Lula huffed.. " She really don't want to talk to no cop. " she giave Newman a disgusted look. I took her hand. " Thanks for fixing her up. I know that will make her feel better. Don't worry. I won't let it get too bad." I left and went into Steph's room.

Steph's face was still puffy and swollen, but Lula and Connie had done a great job with the makeup. Most of the bruises were just faintly visible. They had even managed to put mascara on Steph's swollen eye. I bet she insisted on that. Steph always thought mascara made her brave. They had brushed her hair and it was at least not knotty. She looked pretty good, considering. I leaned in to kiss her and smelled strawberry. They had put strawberry chap stick on her, probably hoping the scent would cheer her up.

"…so you were allegedly attacked and thrown into a van by Monroe."

I bristled. We ahd been over it once. Why was he insisting on doing it again?

" It wasn't allegedly, Newman. It is quite easy to see that she was attacked," I yelled.

" Why would you go with Monroe if all of your associates and friends warned you against him?"

"What the hell does that have to do with what happened in the warehouse, Newman?" I asked. She isn't answering that.

"Ok, so tell me about the rape…"

" Are you insane?, I yelled. " She is not going…"

" I wasn't raped."

We both looked at her. " I wasn't raped, she insisted.

" Well, according to the hospital, the rape kit was …" Newman went on, ignoring the warning look on my face.

Steph looked upset, like she was going to cry again.

I couldn't stand to see Steph upset about this in front of strangers. " Ok, this interview is over. Steph is done answering questions. If you need more, go through Luganis."

Newman wanted to ask more questions, probably a lot more, but he knew I would kick his ass if he tried, so he grudgingly left the room.

I went over to Steph, and squeezed her hand. " I'll be right back, babe."

Bobby was waiting outside the room.

" How'd it go?", he asked, seeing the look on my face.

" She still denies being raped."

"Well, the rape kit was positive, so she was. Sometimes, a person's mind will block out the memory of traumatic events as a means of protection. It is possible that she doesn't remember, at least not consciously."

How the fuck was I supposed to handle this? Steph had had physical wounds before, lots of them, but never anything like this. I was a guy, what the hell did I know about what to do for a rape victim? I knew from the bleak look on Bobby's face that he had the same concerns that I did.

I went back into Steph's room, while Lester stayed and guarded the door.

Bobby's POV

The guys had no idea what to do for Steph, either. I mean, the physical injuries , yes, but knowing how to care for the emotional needs of a rape victim, one who was someone we all cared about, was beyond me. We all knew to expect some emotional stuff, maybe crying or depression.

All the guys had been asking me what to do for Steph, like I fucking knew. SO we consulted with an expert vial email. The guys all read over my shoulder.

"Of course, it is very important that the victim get a therapist who can help her work through her feelings. But you men work with her and obviously care about her, so here is what you can expect. When a woman is raped or sexually assaulted, she may fear the rapist and anyone who resembles him. A woman's trust of familiar men can be destroyed, leading to a total lack of trust in any and all men. She may lump all men together as potential rapists. Even boyfriends, lovers, and husbands are not immune to being considered in the same category as the rapist. It may be difficult for her to trust men. She may distrust her ability to differentiate a good (safe) man from a bad (dangerous) man."

"She knows we'd never hurt her, " Lester blurted, a little offended.

Zip looked like he wanted to rip someone's head off. " Well, we want to support her, but how the hell can we do that if we remind her of him?"

"Should we not talk about it, pretend like it didn't happen, or try to make her talk about it?,Woody asked.

All of the guys had that same look of panicked confusion on their faces. None of us was anywhere near comfortable dealing with this kind of feelings shit with women.

Steph's POV

I have been out of the hospital for about two weeks now. The first week, I didn't want anyone to see me, even Ranger. One of the guys has been outside my apartment 24/7 since I got home, but they barely speak to me. Very polite, but they have gone back to the usual Rangeman "strong , silent " stuff. Even Bobby, who I thought was my friend, comes to check on me and my leg, but barely says anything, and seems uncomfortable around me. Mostly, the guys act like they can't wait to get away from me.

Ranger has been attentive, and trying to be sweet to me, but hasn't pushed himself at me. I have mostly wanted to be alone, and he has mostly respected my wishes. I can tell he is confused and trying to be supportive of me. He got me appointments with the best therapist in Trenton and insists that I go to see her. I don't really want to talk about what happened, but I know Ranger wants me to go to see her. He has taken me to all the appointments, since I can't drive yet because of my leg. I don't want to talk about Monroe. I don't even want to think about it. I still don't remember all the details of Monroe's torture and rape, but the feelings of being scared and violated have started to come back to me.

I don't really want to be out in public , but I don't want to sit home all day either. I wanted to at least do something productive, so Ranger said I can go back to do searches at Rangeman half a day. I know that he wants me back at Rangeman so he and the guys can keep an eye on me.

Today is my first day back at work since I got out of the hospital.. From the minute I entered the building, I knew everything had changed. The guy at the front desk, Mike, a guy I barely knew, looked up and said, " Good morning, Ms. Plum" and looked down quickly.

When the elevator doors opened on five, I briefly heard low male voices quietly talking, but as soon as I hobbled off on my crutches, the room got completely silent. There were several polite, " Good morning , Steph "s . Several pairs of male eyes looked up at me, watching my every step across the room, then quickly looked down to avoid meeting my eyes.

Lester came over and held out my chair so I could sit, but he was formal and polite and went out of his way not to touch me. I tried to ignore the hurt I felt about them all ignoring me. They were supposed to be my friends. But they were all really pissed at me.

I settled down at my computer and opened my email, where several searches were waiting for me. I tried to squelch my hurt as I tried to focus on my searches. I knew that the guys were watching me, whispering about me, but whenever I looked up, several pairs of dark eyes would look down, refusing to make eye contact. Lester came to my cubby with another chair to prop up my leg, but even he was polite but distant, but at least he made brief eye contact.

I knew they all hated me. They were blaming me for what happened. I knew they were mad that I hadn't heeded their warnings about Monroe and maybe they figured I deserved what I got. I really want a hug, but I know they all hate me because they won't even look at me. I can feel their eyes on me as I work, and tears fall unbidden down my cheeks. I couldn't stand that they were so mad at me.

I knew that Woody could see everything that happened in my cubicle on the monitor, so I tried to stop the tears running down my face. It hurt so much that the guys were angry at me. I knew I'd been stupid and foolish, but …my vision blurred with my tears and I sniffed and tried to stop crying so my eyes wouldn't be too red.

I got hungry midmorning and hobbled over to the break room. Zip nodded and held the door for me and assisted me through, but I noticed he was careful not to touch me. Ram and Brett were hanging out in the breakroom, leisurely talking. They looked up, startled, when they saw me, said, "Hey, Steph", and raced out of the room like it was on fire. I plopped down in a chair, my appetite gone, and tried not to cry.

Bobby came into the room and gave me a brief nod and a "hey, Steph, how's it going?" before grabbing an apple from the fridge and striding back towards the door. I knew that if any of the guys would talk to me, it would be him. "Bobby, " I said. He froze. "Can you come here? I want to ask you something." A brief look of panic crossed his face, then he came and sat down next to me.

Bobby's POV

Fuck. Why me? I had come in here to check on her, but I was afraid she'd corner me. The guys and I had been watching her all morning, trying to be polite, but not really sure what else to do for her. Woody had told us that she was crying in her cubicle, so I came in to check on her, but, fuck…I really wasn't prepared to handle this. Lester had been about to come in, but when he saw me with Steph, he backed out and guarded the door to give us privacy.

I sat down and she turned towards me. " What's up?" I asked, trying to sound casual. It broke my heart to see that her eyes were red-rimmed and swollen from crying. "Bobby, " she sniffed, " none of the guys will talk to me. I think they are all mad at me for not listening to them about Monroe. They think I deserve what I got…" she totally broke down into tears. " I don't want them to hate me."

Her shoulders were shaking and I felt really awkward, unsure what to do. I was afraid to touch her, but I couldn't bear to see her hurt like that. I felt like shit because we were the ones who had made her cry. We were almost as bad as Monroe. I moved closer to her and gently pulled her into my arms, holding her loosely against my shoulder. Shit. She actually thought that we were mad at her and hated her?

I knew we'd fuck this up. " Shh… Steph, honey, don't cry." I stroked my hands loosely down her back as her tears abated to sobs. " Sweetie, no one is mad at you. "

"Then, why are all the guys acting so weird. They are polite but won't look at me or touch me. Like they think I am diseased or something."

I sighed and held her close, then held her away and met her eyes. " Sweetie, its because we are guys and guys are fucking stupid when it come to women. They guys aren't angry at you, and they certainly don't think that you deserved to be r… what happened to you. In fact, we all want to fucking kill Monroe again. "

Steph sniffed again, disbelieving. " Then, why are they avoiding me?"

"Because we are all morons. Look, Steph, all the guys know how much you've been hurt, how broken you were. And guys have a need to fix things that are broken, its in our DNA, especially for big protective guys like us. We love you and we want to 'fix" you, make it all right for you. We know its going to take a long time for you to recover. But being guys, we can't possibly understand what you are going through, so we don't know how to "fix" it for you. And we know you probably don't want a bunch of big, scary guys around right after you've been hurt so much by a man. We are all terribly afraid to make it worse and remind you of what happened, or make you feel pressured, or having us touch you when you don't want it. So most of the guys are just being polite but distant, watching over you from afar. They're going to hate it that they made you feel even worse."

Steph had stopped crying and was now just sitting in my arms, sniffling.

"Shit, Lester has been dying to give you a hug since you came in here, so have most of the guys, especially when you started crying. But we were afraid to. We haven't wanted to make it worse for you. And yes, we are a little pissed that you didn't listen to us and got hurt because of it, but only because we don't like to see you hurt. Believe me, there is no one who thinks you deserved to get beaten up and ra….hurt by that fucker."

She sniffed and finally smiled a little, the first smile I have seen since her ordeal. She got up silently, and hobbled outside, where Lester was standing outside the break room door. He looked startled when she threw herself into his arms, then grinned and carefully hugged her back.

" I am so lucky to have you guys, " She whispered as the guys all gathered around to hug her.


	12. Chapter 12

Nothing Ever Goes As Planned- Chapter 12

This chapter is a bit angsty, as Steph deals with the aftermath of her ordeal. Please leave reviews, as I live for them.

Steph's POV

I finished hugging Lester, then invited all the guys to come over. They had been treating me like a fragile, antique lamp that had been broken and glued back together. Like they were afraid I would fall apart if they even said the wrong thing.

" Guys, I know …well, I ..know that you have been trying to avoid me so I won't feel uncomfortable around you. But, it…made me feel like, that you were mad at me, or that you hated me." All the guys protested at that.

" Bomber, you know we don't hate you," Lester said, appalled. All the guys looked uncomfortable.

Zip's " Well, we figured you don't want a bunch of guys hanging around you, reminding you of…what, happened…" I noticed that none of the guys used the words "rape" or "sexual assault" they always said " what happened" or " when you got attacked." I knew they didn't want to remind me of it.

I looked at all the handsome faces. Hell, was that on the Rangeman job application? Applicants have to be drop dead gorgeous? All of the handsome faces were looking at me with confusion and concern.

" I love you guys. And I know you all care about me. I honestly don't know what I need. Sometimes, I get tense when someone touches me. Sometimes, I get nervous just around you guys because you are guys. I know you all care for me, that none of you would ever hurt me. I can't tell you what I need from you because I am not sure myself. But I do know that I need you all to treat me like you did before the r..incident. I don't want you all to feel uncomfortable around me or avoid me. I couldn't bear it. Please, just treat me like you normally would. And I definitely would like a hug now and then."

I wound up crying again, dammit. There were choruses of 'sure, Steph." And Lester gave me another hug.

I have been going to therapy since it happened. Ranger found the best therapist in Trenton, a woman who specializes in sexual assault victims. The guys have been great about taking me. I know Ranger is concerned about me, but he has been going out of his way to respect my privacy. He never asks me how therapy is going or what I talked about. Probably the guys have been told to respect my privacy , too. Ranger or Bobby will ask me " How am I feeling?" or "Do I need anything?" , but that's about it.

I don't really want to talk about what happened, not to a therapist or anyone. In fact, I really don't remember many of the details. Just the feeling of being scared and violated. In fact, I am not even sure that I was raped, since I don't remember it. The hospital assured me that the rape kit was positive. My therapist says I have "blocked it out." Or maybe I am just in denial. Maybe I am. Maybe in my mind the rape never happened because I can't remember it. Then, why do I feel so scared and violated?

Ranger's POV

It has been so damn hard for me since Steph got out of the hospital. It kills me to see her crying, and hurting so much. But I am afraid to give her any comfort, because, well, I am a guy. The last thing I want is to remind Steph of him, of what happened. I have been very careful to respect her privacy. I have gotten her a therapist, and encourage her to go, but I never ask her about it, and have ordered the guys not to, either. I am frustrated because I want to support her, but I don't know how. I spoke with Dr. Marsden, her therapist, about what I can do to help Stephanie through this, but she really wasn't much help.

I had just finished with some paperwork when there was a knock at my door, then Steph popped her head in. "Um, Ranger, can I talk to you?"

" Oh, shit. Here it comes. I need to be supportive", I thought to myself. "Sure, babe, have a seat." She hobbled in on her crutches, and sat down. I pulled over another chair so she could put her leg up.

I could tell she was nervous, and she wanted to get to the point before she chickened out. "Ranger, I know that Monroe, well, that he sent you tapes of him torturing me." Shit. I was hoping she wouldn't remember that Monroe taped a lot of what had happened. "Is there a tape, of, the actual, you know, …the… rape?" I worked hard to remain expressionless. Yes, there was a tape of the rape, that fucker Monroe had taped everything he did to her. But why would she want to see it?

" Yes, but.." I started, but she interrupted me, wanting to get it out before she lost her nerve. " I want to see it." What the fuck?

"Steph, I don't think that's a good idea. No one has seen it, not even me. As soon as I realized what it was, I shut it off. I only kept it in case the cops needed it. I don't think it's a good idea for you to watch it. Why do you want to relive that again?"

" Ranger, I have to see it. How can I get over the rape when I can't even remember it? My mind blocked it out, according to Dr. Marsden. Part of me doesn't even believe I was raped. I need to see it so I can remember , then I can get over it. " She looked so fragile and delicate, but damn, that was gutsy, wanting to watch herself being raped. Still, I didn' t want her to ever see that, ever. " Did Dr. Marsden say you should do this?"

"No, but she said I blocked out the rape so I wouldn't have to suffer the pain. I am already suffering the pain, but I don't exactly remember why. And If I don't remember it, then I can deny it happened, and I don't want to do that. I need to know what happened so that I can get over it."

That sounded like a completely silly argument to me, but if she thought it would help.

I sighed. "Ok, if Dr. Marsden agrees that you should see it, then you can." Shit. How was I going to do this. " I wanted her to do it on 7, in my apartment, so that no one could see her, but I could be there if she needed me. But then, I didn't want her associating my apartment with those bad memories. Maybe we could use a conference room, but cut the camera feeds. NO WAY did I want my guys seeing her watch herself get raped.

I had to think about this. " Why don't you go grab some lunch, and I'll make arrangements." She gave me a tiny smile and hobbled off to the breakroom.

No sooner did she leave than I called Dr. Marsden. " Dr. , This is Carlos Manoso. I am Stephanie Plum's employer and friend. She may have told you that when she was kidnapped, the kidnapper made tapes of much of the torture and rape to send them to me to bait me. Steph says she doesn't really remember the rape, and wants to see the video. I don't think it is a good idea, it'll be too traumatic for her. If she doesn't remember that is a good thing, right? Should I let her see it?"

Dr. Marsden said, " Mr. Manoso, I have told Stephanie often that she is lucky to have a friend like you. It is obvious that you care for her a great deal. I cannot tell you what we discuss in therapy, but you know she doesn't remember the rape, and that is frustrating for her . You also know that Steph has repeatedly denied being raped, because she can't remember it. If Steph feels that watching the tape and remembering will give her more power, then you should let her. If she wants to see the tape, I believe you should show it to her. But give her as many choices about the details as possible, so she feels in control. Just make sure to schedule the appointment with me for the first thing the next day so she can talk about it."

Fuck. I was hoping she'd say NOT to let Steph see it. This was not going to be pretty.

*************************************************************************************

I had Steph come to the conference room on 4 at 7:00. Hector had fixed the cameras there , so that the only one who could see in was me in my office. I wanted to know if Steph needed me. No one in the control room could see in the conference room. None of the guys, except Bobby, knew what was happening. I only told Bobby so that he could give her something afterwards to make her sleep. I did NOT want her having nightmares about this.

I got the chairs set up so she could put up her leg and be as comfortable as possible. I gave her a bottle of water and some tissues. I figured she might need them. Getting comfortable to watch yourself being raped, weird huh? She chose a seat near the door of the conference room and settled down, putting her feet up.

She looked so fragile, yet determined sitting there. I was proud of her for facing this, but worried about her at the same time.

"Are you sure you want to see this, babe?"

" No, I don't WANT to, but I HAVE to," she said determinedly.

I put the video in, preset to the part about the rape, and gave her the remote. Dilemma time. Do I stay, in case she needs me, or let her have total privacy? I kissed her on the forehead, then, said, " Just call if you need me."

I was halfway out the door when a wobbly voice said, " Ranger, will you please stay with me?" Fuck. How could I not? " Sure, babe," I said. I so fucking did NOT want to sit here and watch her get raped. But if she wanted me here, then I would be. No question. I sat down in a chair across the table from her.

Nothing that has ever happened to me in my life, not my Ranger training, not being tortured, was as unbearable as watching that Fucker Monroe rape Stephanie. My hands were gripping the armrests of the chair so tightly, I was pretty sure they'd leave dents. I could feel my blood throbbing through my veins and my blood pressure was probably high enough to make my head explode. The hardest thing I've ever had to do was keep a neutral expression on my face. I didn't want Steph to see me react to the brutalities done to her. My head was turned toward the screen, but I watched her out of the corner of my eye.

At first , she watched herself get attacked dispassionately, as if she were seeing it happen to someone else. Her body was tight and she flinched a couple of times when Monroe hit her. The room was filled with nothing but the sounds of her screaming on the video and Monroe yelling and hitting her.

During the worst part of the rape, I noticed tears in her eyes, and she curled up her good leg on the chair next to her and wrapped her arms around herself as if to comfort herself. She hugged herself, and cringed back in her chair, crying , making little gaspy sounds.

I wanted so badly to go to her and hold her, but I knew that my arms around her wouldn't be a help right now. She tensed with every time Monroe plowed into her, and she cringed as the scene got more violent. I could tell that she now remembered this as actually happening to her.

After about 25 minutes or so, she was crying and shaking. She hobbled up, grabbed her crutches, and said, " I have to go," and hobbled out of the room. I shut off the video. Watching her get raped, and seeing the pain in her eyes as she watched it, made me want to break things. I wanted so badly to break Monroe's into a million pieces, but I settled for throwing a lamp against the wall.

Part of me wanted to follow Steph, in case she needed me, the other part wanted to let her have her privacy. After a couple minutes, the phone in the conference room rang.

"Yo."

"Ranger, is Ram in the control room. I just saw Stephanie take the elevator to the roof. Is everything ok?"

"What is she doing there?"

"She is just sitting there leaning against the concrete of the HVAC unit. I can't see much since there are a lot of dead spots up there."

"Let me talk to Bobby."

"Yeh, boss, " Bobby came on.

"Bobby, I had Steph watched the video we talked about earlier."

"Shit. Is she ok?"

" Yeah, she went up to the roof to be alone. Turn off the cameras up there to give her some privacy. You go up there and keep an eye on her but don't intrude unless you think she is in danger. And don't let her see you."

I felt bad sending Bobby up there. I wanted to give Steph as much privacy as I could to deal with her emotions, but I was not going to leave her totally alone. Bobby would be discreet.

Forty minutes later, Bobby reported in, saying Steph was still on the roof, just sitting there, crying. I had let her have enough privacy. Besides, it was cold and she'd freeze up there.

I got to the roof and saw Steph, sitting on the concrete, leaning against the wall to the HVAC unit, between the entrance door and the HVAC. It was one of the few places where the camera wouldn't be able to see her. Bobby was standing in a doorway across the roof from her, where he could see her, bus she couldn't see him. I dismissed him with a nod.

She was huddled on the ground, shaking with the cold. She looked as vulnerable as a child. I put the blanket I had brought around her shoulders and wrapped her tightly in it. I just sat there quietly for a few minutes, watching the sky, listening to her sob. Letting her know I was there if she wanted me.

Finally, after a few minutes, her sobbing lessened and she sniffed, " Ranger, I remember everything now. But, does watching that video, seeing what happened, does it make you want me less? Like I am damaged or ruined." She started to cry at that last word.

I couldn't resist anymore, I grabbed her and held her, letting her cry into my shoulder. I could feel her shaking, even through the blanket. It was a cold night.

" Steph, watching that video was torture for me, because I hate seeing you hurt. And I think it took a lot of courage for you to watch that. "

I grabbed her face from my shoulder and held her chin gently so she had to meet my eyes.

"Babe, what he did to you is on him, not on you. HE is the one who is damaged. You are strong and courageous. He wanted to have power over you and kill you, but who has the power now? Who killed who? Who is alive and who isn't? You totally took the power away from him by blowing his brains out. By surviving. And that doesn't make you less attractive to me. It makes you more so because you are brave and courageous. Nothing HE did is going to make you less attractive to me. "

"The guys are afraid of me," she sobbed. I had to smile at that. Shit. Part of me was afraid of her, too.

" Its only because they want to help you heal, but they don't know how. And they are afraid of doing the wrong thing. We men are stupid about emotional things, you know." She grinned slightly at that.

" But you know, me and the guys, we'd do anything for you. Hell, they all confessed to murder for you. And we all wish we could kill Monroe again, more painfully this time, for what he did to you."

She grinned again at that. I was glad to see a grin on her face. Her eyes were red and puffy, and her lips were swollen. She had circles under her eyes.

" Lets go down to 7 before we freeze our asses off." I grabbed her and helped her up and helped her wobble to my apartment.

She wanted a bath first, so I set her up in my Jacuzzi tub with lots of Bulgari, since that seemed to soothe her. Hell, watching that video made me feel dirty too.

I gave her a t shirt and sweats and tucked her tightly under my blankets. She took the pill Bobby gave her, that he guaranteed me would make her sleep all night with no nightmares. I shut out the lights, but she protested the total darkness. Stupid me, I should have known that would upset her. I put on a small lamp in the living room whose light came dimly into the bedroom. I wanted to get into bed with her, but after what she had just relived, I didn't think she'd want any guy near her.

I pulled up a chair next to the bed and sprawled in it, listening to Steph's breathing turn deep and even as she fell asleep. I could have slept on the couch, but I wanted her to know I was here if she needed me. As I watched her small form lie still under the covers and listened to her soft breathing, I decided I was glad she had watched the video. It gave her power and would help her to heal.


	13. Chapter 13

Nothing Ever Goes As Planned- Chapter 13

_Only one chapter left after this one. Please leave reviews, as I live for them._

Steph's POV

Since I watched the video of me getting raped two weeks ago, I have been a little bit depressed. I am glad I watched it, because I was in denial about it. But my therapist says that now that I have seen it, and know exactly what happened, I had to go through the stages of healing. One of those was being angry and depressed.

I am still embarrassed that Ranger saw what happened to me on the video. I mean, I wanted him to be there, but I don't want him to think of me that way. He says he doesn't, but I don't know. I am glad that none of the guys knew about the video except Bobby. He has been very discreet. He hasn't said anything about it to me. He just asked me the next morning how I was feeling and drove me to my therapist appointment.

The guys are still treating me like I am a piece of broken porcelain, but at least they aren't avoiding me anymore. I know my behavior has been a little unpredictable, and that is hard for them to handle, but they have been very sweet. I am a little afraid of what they think of me now. If I am damaged goods or something.

I looked up from my computer monitor when Lester walked by on his way to the break room. Lester was on monitor duty with Hal. Otherwise, the office was pretty empty since most of the other guys were in the field. "Hey Lester, can you come here for a minute?"

Lester came into my cubicle and gave me his gorgeous, heart stopping smile. " Hey, sweetie, How's it coming ? You want me to get you something from the break room?"

I took my foot off the other chair and Lester sat down.

"I have to ask you something. Do the guys think of me, well… when they think of me, do they only think like, poor Steph got raped? Do they think of me as damaged goods?"

Lester frowned, suddenly pissed off. 'Who said that to you? I'll kick their ass for saying that."

"No , no one said it. I was just wondering if that was how you guys thought of me now. You know, since …it happened."

"Sweetie, we all know that you have been through a terrible ordeal and that it will take you time to heal. And we want to do everything we can to help with that. Some of us are scared of doing or saying the wrong thing. But no one thinks of you as damaged. We think you are brave and courageous because you went through the worst thing that can happen to a woman, and you didn't let it defeat you. You are getting through it, surviving. Plus, we're all really proud of you for killing Monroe. You survived what he did to you , and you made sure he didn't."

I smiled. That made me feel better.

"By the way, is it true that you and Ram and Bobby confessed to killing Monroe to keep the cops away from me?"

Lester hesitated, as if he wasn't sure if he was supposed to tell me or not. Then he smiled. " Yes, we did. Tank did too. You had enough to deal with. We didn't want you to have to deal with that , too. Besides, We all WISHED we were the one to kill him, so it was almost the same thing."

I couldn't believe they would confess to murder to protect me. And to think the whole reason I had gone with Monroe was because I didn't want the guys following me.

I guess I hadn't realized just how far they would go for me and how much they cared.

"Thanks, Lester. I can't believe you guys did that for me. That was very sweet of you."

I hugged him and he hugged me tightly to his chest. It didn't make me feel awkward or uncomfortable, just comforted.

He rose. " No problem, sweetie. You want anything from the breakroom?"

" How about a donut?"

Again with the gorgeous smile. "Nice try. You KNOW there are no donuts in there. But I can call Ram and have him pick up a few on his way back. Just don't let Ranger know who got them for you."

Again I felt guilty for not wanting the guys around. They were so sweet to risk the wrath of Ranger to get me a donut.

I went back to my boring searches. Where the hell did all of these come from? Were these all really necessary or just something to give me something to do?

Half an hour later, Ram popped in with a brown paper bag. " Here you go, Steph, a glazed and a chocolate cream stick. But if Ranger sees them, I didn't get them for you."

"Thanks, Ram , that is so sweet. Thank you for everything. "I got up and hugged him.

"Sure, Steph," He seemed startled for a second then he hugged me tightly to him before quickly letting go.

Ranger's POV

I got a call from Mr. Luganis, my attorney . That fuc king detective Newman is still sniffing around . I can't believe they are still investigating Monroe's death. He tortured and raped Steph, and he got killed in self defense for it. And since four of my men confessed to killing him, they have no proof of who really did and they can drop the case. It should be fucking easy, right?

But Monroe was a former detective, and they look after their own, even the dirty ones. In order to get them to close the case, they are either going to have to talk to Steph. But there is no way that I am letting the cops talk to Steph about her getting raped, especially since she is just dealing with the trauma of remembering it.

I made an appointment for Luganis to come and take an "official deposition" from Steph, and that is the end of it. She can tell him that Monroe attacked her, and the guys killed him to protect her. My guys have killed plenty of times before, they wouldn't mind having this one on them, too.

Steph seemed to be doing better. Now that she remembers the rape, she is working on getting through the healing process. Not just the emotional, but the physical. I was glad to think of Steph totally healed and whole again.

Steph's POV

I just finished with my therapy appointment, and for the first time in weeks, I had talked to my therapist about something other than the rape. I talked about Ranger and the guys. I had been thinking a lot about them lately. I felt ashamed and guilty regarding them, but it had nothing to do with the rape. It had to do with me.

I felt guilty because I had been so unfair to Ranger and the guys, and all they had ever been was supportive and caring to me. They had all tried to warn me about Monroe, and I didn't listen. I told Ranger I didn't want them babysitting me. I had rejected the best in the business so that I could "learn" from a guy who was a fraud. Even when I pushed them away, they had watched over me.

But even after that, the guys were there. They warned Monroe away from me, but I defied them. They found me, even though I had done everything I could not to be found. They took care of me, they protected me physically and shielded me from the cops. Shit. Four of the guys had freaking confessed to murder to protect me! They were being so sweet and caring since the rape, doing everything they can to help me heal, even though it made them uncomfortable.

I felt like shit as I realized how foolish I had been. Monroe couldn't have taught me anything the guys couldn't. They were the best there is. None of the guys had said anything about it, but I knew they were hurt and angry that I hadn't listened to them, and gotten hurt because of it.

I walked into the Rangeman building just as the daily briefing was being held. It was held midday, during a slight overlap in shifts, so the guys going off shift could brief the guys coming on about accounts, etc. That meant that all the guys who were on duty today would be there.

Ranger was surprised, because I almost never attended these meetings because they were boring. I waited through Ranger's briefing as he told the guys about various accounts and skips. When he was finished and almost ready to dismiss the meeting, I stood up. He looked at me, shocked.

"Steph, did you have a question?" he asked.

Shit. This was going to be harder than I thought. But I had to do it. I owed it to Ranger and the guys. It was embarrassing to do this heare in front of all the guys, but it was better to do it once than over and over to each guy.

"Um, actually, I had something that I wanted to say."

Ranger looked perplexed, but told me to continue.

I looked around the room. All the guys were looking at me, waiting for me to talk.

I met Bobby's eyes and he gave me a little grin.

Ranger, Bobby, Lester, Ram, Zip, all the guys. They were all watching me like I was some mysterious package that they thought might blow up.

"Actually, um, I wanted to talk to all of you guys."

Lester and Ram shared a " oh, shit, what is she going to do now?" look. They all just sat patiently waiting for me to gather my thoughts.

"I wanted to , um, thank all of you guys. You took such good care of me, and you have been so sweet to me. I understand some of you confessed to murder for me."

" No problem, sweetie," Lester answered.

I stood there looking at them, and they looked back at me curiously, wondering what the hell else I would say.

" I , um, also have to apologize to you- all of you."

I met Ranger's eyes, then darted to Bobby's.

" I should have listened to you when you all warned me about Monroe. You all tried and tried to keep me away from him, but I didn't listen. I don't know why, but I thought I didn't need you guys. I thought I could learn more from Monroe than I could from you. I don't know why I thought that, because Rangemen are the best in the world.

"Damn straight," Zip called out, lightening the mood, and the others laughed.

" Anyway, I just wanted to tell all of you that I am sorry I didn't listen to you and thank you for taking care of me, even when I pushed you away. You guys are the best, and I will never doubt you again. I know I 'll have to gain back your trust, but as soon as my leg heals, I want to go out in the field with you and I will listen to what you say because I know that even when you are overprotective, its because you care about me. And I love you guys, too. Anyway, that's all."

By this time I was in tears again. Dammit, why was I crying so damn much lately.

Ranger came over and held me, and I pressed myself tightly to him, wanting to feel his strength close to me. He didn't get to hold me long though, because the guys were all there, wanting to hug me. Each of them said something to me and held me tightly before leaving the meeting.

Bobby was the last one in line. I hugged him and he squeezed me tightly to him. He had been the one to nurse me physically and had been so supportive. " its ok, sweetie, " he said. " I can't wait to go kick ass with you again."

He left the room and Ranger and I were alone. He hugged me. "I'm proud of you, babe. I know that was hard to do. " He hugged me tightly and then leaned in slowly to kiss me, giving me plenty of warning of his intentions so I could break away if I felt uncomfortable.

He grinned, and I thought I might faint. Damn. He has the most gorgeous smile of all. " I just hope you remember your promise to listen to the guys when you are in the field."

I knew Ranger and the guys weren't sure if I would make good on my promise or not, but I was determined to prove to them that they could trust me again.


	14. Chapter 14

Nothing Ever Goes As Planned- Chapter 14

_Last chapter. Please leave reviews, as I live for them._

Steph's s POV

It has been two weeks since I had my little "talk" with the guys, and I am making good on my promise. As soon as my leg was out of the cast, I started physical therapy and working out. I asked Bobby and Cal to come up with a workout program for me to get my leg strengthened and get me in shape again. The guys are still so protective of me, they were going too easy. Bobby kept saying that we should' start out slowly." Maybe Ranger told them to go easy on me.

I asked Lester to help me with some self defense moves, since he is one of the guys I feel most comfortable with. I had to get used to physical touch again. We did some basic defense moves. We worked for about half an hour. I had been fine with his closeness and physical touch until one move where he was behind me and grabbing me from behind. He was being very careful, not holding me tightly at all. But I freaked and jerked away from him, yelling at him not to touch me. He was very understanding and let go and moved away from me right away. Then, was so embarrassed and upset with myself that I put my head down and started to cry. I have been crying a lot lately.

Lester looked startled for a minute, like he didn't know what to do. Then , he sat next to me and gently stroked my hair , whispering, "its ok, sweetie." I could tell he was afraid to touch me and make me upset again, but I felt so foolish. I didn't want the guys to be afraid to touch me. So, I put my head on his shoulder and asked him to hug me. He put his arms around me gently, loose enough that I could break away easily if I wanted to. I just sat in his arms for awhile, overcoming my discomfort to enjoy the warmth of a man' s arms again. After awhile, I broke away and Lester kissed me on the head and said he was proud of me.

I have also been learning to shoot . Its true that I really hate guns, but Zip is teaching me to be more accurate so that at least I can hit what I aim for. I will probably never feel totally comfortable with guns, but it is a Rangeman policy to carry one, so I will. If I want Ranger and the guys trust me, I have to prove I can take care of myself.

The guys are going to "redecorate" a crackhouse in downtown Trenton. Ranger is reluctant to let me go with them. I know he doesn't want me to get hurt, but I really need to get out in the field and practice what the guys have been teaching me. I need to feel useful a gain.

Ranger finally agreed to let me go, but Ram was leading the mission, so I could only go if he agreed to take me. I went into the weight room and found Ram there, bench pressing what looked like a zillion pounds. He looked at me out of the corner of his eye as he finished the last rep. "Hi, Ram," I said, smiling. That usually worked.

Ram put down the weights and sat up. "Hey, Steph, you are here to try and convince me to let you go on the mission aren't you?" Damn. Ranger had probably already called him and told him.

" I have been working hard on my skills and I have learned a lot. And I will do whatever I am told."

Ram smiled at that. "Wow, doing what you are told. That WOULD be a first.", he teased.

" I know. But I told you guys I want to prove that you can trust me." He looked at me assessing. " Are you sure you are ready for this? I don't want you to get hurt again."

" I promise I won't. And I will do everything I am told, and not do anything I am told not to."

"Ok, if Ranger says its ok. But you have to do everything you are told. And if I decide the situation is too dangerous, I'll pull you out. You know that if you get hurt, they 'll be finding little pieces of my body for years to come."

"Thanks Ram. I promise I won't mess up." I hugged him tightly, and he froze for a minute, then wrapped his arms around me.

Ranger' s POV

Steph really is making good on her promise so far. She has the guys helping her get into shape by designing a workout program. They are still so protective of her, that they started her off with a really easy program and are working her up. We are all so relieved that she is healing physically and emotionally, and none of us want to risk a setback.

She is still emotional, but at least she isn't depressed all the time anymore. Her emotions are very unpredictable, and that can make all of us guys a little nervous, because we hate to see her cry. But we all know that is to be expected and part of the healing process. At least the guys don't avoid her anymore when that happens. She is also still a little uncomfortable with physical closeness. I have been trying to give her as much physical space as possible. I will just sit next to her , or hold her hand. I haven't made any sexual advances to her, because I don't want to push myself on her.

We have a big mission tomorrow, a big redecorating job. Ram is leading the team that will be 'redecorating." Steph wants to go. I know she wants to prove herself to the guys and me, that we can trust her. I want to give her the chance to go and prove herself, but part of me wants to keep her where she can't get hurt. I never want to see her hurt that badly ever again. So, I have to admit, I took the coward's way out. I left the decision up to Ram. If he is ok with taking her, she can go. But if he lets her get hurt I will fucking rip him to pieces.

Steph's POV

We pulled up to the crackhouse at 2000 hours in two huge black, shiny SUVs. They really stick out in this neighborhood. I wonder if anyone would dare steal them when we are in the building. The guys and I piled out of the SUV's looking like a military invasion force. Ram, Tank, Bobby, Lester, and I were going inside the front. Hal and Woody would go in the back. I was afraid that Ram would tell me to wait with the cars. All the guys were gearing up, and Lester handed me a Kevlar vest and weapons belt. My belt had pepper spray , cuffs, and a flashlight in it. Bobby checked a Glock to make sure it was loaded, then handed it to me. Ram was checking with all the guys, and came up to me. " Steph, you'll go in the front between Bobby and Lester. Do whatever they tell you to. Remember what you promised."

I knew he was waiting so I said, " I promise I will do whatever I am told to do."

We finished gearing up and Ram led us in the front doors. It was totally dark in the bottom floor, and I couldn't see anything. The guys seemed to be having no problem. Makes sense that the Rangemen could see like bats.

Ram and Tank split off to the left, while Bobby, Lester, and I took the right. We rounded up all the crackheads and had them sit on one spot , while we redecorated. The guys tried to keep me protected from most of the danger, but I DID manage to wrestle one crack whore who tried to get away. I used one of the moves Lester had taught me.

The redecorating went off ok, none of us were hurt, but two of the crackheads were hurt when they " tripped" when they were going down the stairs with Tank and Woody. We all took off our gear so we could fit in the SUV. Tank, and Woody were taking the crackheads to the local shelter.

I smiled, because I knew that I had done exactly what I was told and I even got one of the crackheadds the guys hadn't seen. Bobby and Lester hugged me. " Nice job getting the crackwhore, sweetie," Bobby said as he hugged me. Ram came over and told me I had done a good job. it was just a beginning, but I knew that I was on the road to winning back the guys' trust.

I sat next to Lester on the ride back, his arm around me. I felt good for the first time in a long time. I knew that it would take me awhile to fully recover from being raped, but I felt like tonight went a long way. I had learned from the guys, used what I'd learned, and been a valuable part of the team. I knew the guys were still looking out for me, and would probably always be overprotective of me, but I didn't resent it anymore. It was kinda nice.

As we drove back to Rangeman, I thought about Ranger. I knew he'd be so proud of me. He'd been so patient, so careful since the rape, giving me lots of space. But now the adrenaline was coursing through my veins, and for the first time in a long time I felt good. I didn't want space. I didn't want to be afraid of touch. I wanted Ranger. I especially wanted him to touch me.

We got back to Rangeman about half an hour after Ranger and Hal had gotten back from their assignment. The guys gave me a hug, and said goodnight. We all went to four, where I changed and then I went to seven.

Ranger's POV

Hal and I had spent the evening doing surveillance and recon for one of my government clients. My razor sharp focus was not on the mission. I was not aware of my surroundings. My attention and thoughts were on Ram's redecorating mission. I knew the guys wouldn't let Steph get hurt, but I was worried. I didn't want her to get hurt, true, but I was more worried about her self esteem. I knew she wanted to prove herself to the guys, and I hoped that she got a chance to do that. And if Ram let her get hurt, I'd tear him apart.

My cell rang just as we were breaking off surveillance. It was Ram, reporting in that it had gone well. Steph was ok, and she had done a good job. He didn't give me details, he knew she'd want to tell me herself. He sounded happy with her and I was glad she had started to earn back the guys' trust.

I had just showered and changed from the mission when there was a knock at my door. That was a surprise. No one ever came up here. I opened the door, and it was Steph and holy shit…what was she wearing.

"Babe," I said, and I knew my eyes were smoldering with passion.

"How did the mission go?" I asked, as though I didn't already know.

She smiled. Damn, it was good to see her smile. I hadn't seen a real smile in a long time. "It went well. I did exactly what I was told and I even tackled one of the crackwhores that the guys had missed. I used a move Lester taught me."

She was beaming, obviously proud of herself. I loved seeing her smile, but I couldn't take my eyes off what she was wearing. It was this satin tank top thing, and it was so fucking sexy. I had to back away to quell my serious hard-on.

I kept backing up, because if I didn't I was going to grab her and fuck her and I knew she wasn't ready for that . I had deliberately avoided any sexual contact with her. I didn't want to remind her of that bastard Monroe. I didn't want my touch to remind her of his brutality. But she showed up on my doorstep in a fucking satin tank thing, and I could see her nipples, erect and pebbled, poking through the fabric. I am known for my superhuman control, but it was about to snap.

"I'm glad it went well, babe," I said. " I know you wanted to impress the guys." Shit. She had impressed me with her resilience and her determination to overcome the rape and get strong again.

She stepped up to me, standing within two inches of me.

" Yes, I'm glad I got to prove myself to the guys. But there is one other thing I need to do if I am going to heal."

Fuck. She was standing right up against me. I backed up another step, but I was right up against the kitchen counter. She stretched up and kissed me hard. I kissed back, but gently, carefully. I didn't want to scare her. I tried to pull back from the kiss, but she kissed me harder, shoving her tongue in my mouth. I had no choice but to kiss back, my arms wrapping reflexively around her. God, the blood was pounding through me so hard I thought I might explode. My mind was telling me to pull back from her, but my body was screaming for me to get inside her. I clamped down my iron clad control and pulled back from her. "Babe, I don't think… " Are you sure you are ready for this? I don't want my touch to remind you of him."

She looked up at me through half lowered lids. Her eyes filled with desire, a bit of fear, and total trust.

She grabbed my hand and I let her put it on her breast, under her tank. Geezus fucking Christ, her skin was so warm and soft and my hand on her chest rose and fell with her rapid breathing.

" Ranger, I want you. I want you to touch me. I want you to erase the feeling of his touch on me. Replace it with yours.

I am pretty sure I growled when she said that. My mouth covered hers and my hands squeezed her breast, her nipple hard against my palm.

I was more than happy to oblige.

_The End. I hope you enjoyed the story._


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